Snap Crackle and Pop
by LovelyLovelyLove
Summary: It was the straw that broke the camel's back, and Lucy was done with heartbreak. She locked up her heart and threw away the key. After a horrendous hike, she finds herself surrounded by a group that will come to think of her as family. But will she let them in? And can a certain Dragon Slayer find the key to unlock her heart? Maybe, if he stops being so stubborn.
1. It Begins

**Guess what? I decided to be a total moron and start another story. Yayyyyy for inevitable stress and confusion. Oh well, I'll survive. (I hope)**

 **Sorry this is such a short chapter. I just really wanted to get something posted.**

 **As always, I do not, nor will I ever, own Fairy Tail.**

 **Onwards!**

"Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me." Lucy wanted to scream. It was hot, humid, and the forest she was currently trying (and failing) to navigate through was so dense she didn't even know if she was going the right way. If she didn't have her spirits she was positive she would die here, and no one would find the body.

With a loud groan, she picked herself up and brushed the moss and dirt from her knees.

' _Just walk straight through, he says. It will be so much faster, he says. He's just lucky I never want to look at this godforsaken place ever again or his ass would be grass.'_ She grumbled internally.

It had been a year since the guild reformed. It was almost as if it never disbanded. Almost. A lot of the guild still walked around on eggshells, like at any moment we could lose our home once again.

The last two years had changed Lucy. She was still her happy self, but she was also cautious, a little sassier, and guarded. She had lost too much in her twenty-two years on Earthland. Her mother, her father (emotionally), her childhood, Michelle, seven years of her life, her father (physically), Aquarius, the guild, and then her best friend in the whole world left her behind.

There's only so much a girl could take, even if you were as resilient as Lucy Heartfilia apparently was.

Levy, Gajeel, and Panther Lily stuck with her for a while. They were the only people that knew about Aquarius besides her spirits. A few weeks after the guild disbanded, they had taken a job together from the mission board that the mayor set up in the center of town. It was supposed to be a simple escort job for some prissy fat man, but they were ambushed. A few of the bandits were mages and somehow Lucy was cornered by a small stream. Out of habit, she reached for Aquarius's key, only to find it no longer there. She had a total meltdown, right there in the heat of the battle, confusing the crap out of the mage she had been fighting. Gajeel took the mage out, and a very confused and concerned Levy held her while she sobbed. She demanded to know what was wrong, and Lucy just couldn't find it within herself to hold back. She told them everything. When she told them about how Aquarius's mark never went away, Levy said she would have to do some research, but she had an idea why it stayed.

After scouring away in library after library, Levy finally found the answer. Well, kind of. All she found was a book in Crocus that said that a spirit is allowed to empower only one mage in their entire immortal existence. That was literally all it said.

Lucy then had an epiphany, and not one that made her feel all that intelligent. She forgot about Crux. Levy just about bashed her scull in, frustrated with her friend, but she didn't say much else. After all, she forgot too.

Lucy summoned him that afternoon back in their hotel room. He explained that Aquarius had given Lucy a gift, but the spirit had insisted that she figured it out on her own. A Zodiac spirit is allowed to empower a Celestial Spirit mage with their power only once. After they choose a mage, they can't take it back, and they can never do it again. He explained that she now had water magic capabilities, although they may differ from Aquarius's. Magic differed between every mage, or being. It conformed to their strength and personality to make it unique.

It took two months for Lucy to figure out how to activate it, and it was amazing. The minute the magic poured through her system, she felt Aquarius's presence for the first time since Tartaros and she finally understood what her gift meant. Even though she could no longer be there physically, she would always be there in spirit.

Not long after, Levy received an offer to work for the reforming Magic Council. She put up a bit of a fight, but Lucy knew her friend. She could see it in the little bluenette's eyes how badly she wanted to do this, to go and open up a new chapter in her life.

So, after lots of yelling, crying, laughing, more crying, and promises to never lose touch, Lucy convinced her friend to go. She helped them pack, and a few days later, after a very tearful goodbye, they left.

Lucy didn't know what to do with herself for a while after that. After a few weeks of numbness, she broke. Loke opened his own Gate and held her. She cried all day. Then she got pissed. Why? Why did the Gods decide she had to have everything she ever came to love ripped away from her? After ranting and raving in front of a very patient lion for well over an hour, she decided she was done. She was done loving so freely. Opening her heart to anyone who showed her a little kindness. She had her spirits and she had Levy. Surprisingly she also had Gajeel, who had started treating her as if she was his little sister. And of course Panther Lily, who she had bonded with over cooking together for their ragtag little group.

Lucy would always love Natsu, but he left. He just left her behind, and didn't even have the common decency to tell her he was leaving in person. He left her a note to find on her own and took off.

So she was done. She locked up her damaged, aching heart and refused to let anyone else in.

The rest of the year was spent taking solo jobs, and writing the occasional article for Sorcerer Weekly. She got herself a new little apartment in Magnolia, since hers just held too many memories, and continued on with life. Levy never failed to write to her every week, and Lucy returned the favor. Even Lily sent her one from time to time.

Then came the rumors that Makarov had been spotted in Magnolia. At first she tried to ignore them. She wouldn't let herself get her hopes up.

But then they kept coming, and she couldn't ignore them any longer. One night she found herself standing in front of the empty lot that used to be the destroyed guild hall. Only it wasn't empty. There wasn't much, but floors and walls were in the process of being rebuilt. For the first time in well over a year, hope flooded Lucy's body.

The next day, she went back and found Makarov, Erza, the Raijinshu, and a handful of her old guild mates working hard to rebuild the place she once called home.

Erza was the first one to see her, and in a flash, she was tackled to the ground, her face crushed into a metal breastplate. Master approached her next, confirming that the guild was getting back together and that he would love nothing more than for her to come back as well. Lucy agreed immediately and set to work helping to rebuild her home.

The guild hall was finished within a month, and after many calls via lacrima, the whole guild was back together, sans Natsu. He came around almost four months later. Waltzing in to the place with his usual "We made it back alive!" There were cheers, and tears, and the guild partied for a week straight. After an awkward hug and a chaste 'welcome back' Lucy retreated back to her apartment. It was too much, seeing him. And for the first time in almost a year, she cried.

After that, things slowly returned to the way things were before Tartaros ruined everything. However, everyone was still afraid it was too good to be true. Including Lucy. While she still went on some missions with Team Natsu, she mostly stuck to her solo jobs. Being around Natsu was somewhat strained, but they never talked about it. They talked and joked, but that was it. She missed how things were, but he had broken her trust, and her heart. Other than quick greetings at the guild, and being together on jobs, that was all the two ever really interacted.

If people noticed, they didn't say anything.

Looking down at herself to inspect the new scratches on her legs, Lucy was grateful that she stopped wearing skirts on jobs. Now she stuck to shorts and her favorite pair of black combat boots that reached mid-calf. It didn't take long for her to give up on only wearing shirts that hid Aquarius's mark. She got a lot of compliments and people were surprised, but no one ever questioned her too much about her new "ink."

Lucy brushed her fingers over one of the keys at her hip.

' _Pyxis, am I still going the right way?'_ She asked through their connection.

After hearing his confirmation, she continued on through the thick foliage.

She was making her way to the nearest train station after a mission. It was a simple job. All she had to do was wait around a quaint little sweet shop for the group of teens that kept breaking in and eating large amounts of their merchandise. The owners of the shop were a nice elderly couple. They didn't want to get the police involved, they only wanted a mage to come by and scare them just enough so they'd learn their lesson. One giant bull with a huge axe was all it took for them to run crying for their parents.

On the way back, Lucy decided she wanted to check the local magic shops for any new keys. Not only could she not find a single magic shop, but she also got hopelessly lost. Finally she gave up and asked the nearest stranger for directions. He said he could 'do her one better' and show her a shortcut. He took her to the edge of the forest she was currently trying not to have an aneurism in, and told her to walk straight through keeping east. What he did not tell her was how dense it was and how there were no paths!

For the fiftieth time that day, her foot caught on a tree root and she went flying face first into the mossy forest floor.

Before she could yell at the offending root, another sound burst through the previously silent area.

"God dammit will you shut up!" The deep masculine voice, followed by a threatening growl, echoed off of the trees.

Lucy slowly rose to her feet and silently made her way to where the voice came from.

' _That sounds like-'_

"Laxus! Stop pissing the guy off when we can't do a damn thing to defend ourselves. If the guy wants to give his big evil master plan speech, then fucking let him. I don't want to die today!"

' _Bickslow.'_

She followed their voices until she reached an odd clearing in the middle of the forest.

There, on the side farthest away from where she was crouching behind a tree, was Laxus and the Raijinshu on the ground in front of an extremely tall and thin man, and a short incredibly obese woman. They had what looked like magic cancelling cuffs binding their wrists and ankles. Other than their mouths, their bodies were unnaturally stiff looking.

Evergreen had a burlap sack over her head, as did Bickslow. Freed was sprawled out on his stomach, glowering at the odd couple standing before them. Laxus however, looked furious.

If the menacing growls reverberating from his broad chest were any indication, he was not a happy camper.

The tall, boney man just laughed at the group in front of him and waved a hand at the woman standing next to him. "You're free to go Sam. Regroup with the others and inform them that I'll be there shortly."

Sam bowed to the man, handed him what looked like a key, and uttered something before disappearing into an inky black puff of smoke.

The moment she was gone, the captive mage's bodies slumped.

"Now then, where were we? Oh yes." The man rambled on and on, making his unwilling audience listen to whatever it was he was saying.

Lucy wasn't listening, however. She was running through her options and possible strategies until finally she found one that just might work.

She'd probably get her ass handed to her, but it could work.

Grabbing two of her keys, she silently summoned them and told them the game plan through their connection.

When she was finished, Lucy took a deep breath, and stepped out into the clearing, silently begging whatever deity out there that she could pull this off.


	2. How Did That Even Work?

"God dammit will you shut up!" Laxus shouted, effectively cutting off the droning of the dark mage in front of them.

The mission was supposed to be simple. Investigate the area and stop the group of dark mages that were plaguing the town. Apparently, the skinny guy currently watching us in amusement and his groupies were gathering recruits. Something about being the strongest or something like that. Laxus wasn't paying attention.

He was now though. One of the townsfolk told them he had seen a group of suspicious looking people enter the forest every day for the last week. When they went to check it out, it had taken them seven hours to get to the little clearing they were in now. Seven hours of tripping, cussing, and electrocuting foliage, only to be frozen in place the second they stepped foot into the clearing.

The fat bitch was some sort of Immobilization mage and she appeared out of nowhere. He didn't understand how not one of his senses picked them up.

Once complete immobilization had taken hold, magic cancelling cuffs were placed on their wrists and ankles, then they were dragged to a different part of the clearing. Bickslow and Evergreen had sacks placed over their heads 'just in case.'

It appears as though the dark mages were waiting for them.

As soon as the Raijinshu was secured, the immobilization spell was lifted from only their heads so they could speak. So speak he did.

"Laxus! Stop pissing the guy off when we can't do a damn thing to defend ourselves. If the guy wants to give his big evil master plan speech, then fucking let him. I don't want to die today!" The Seith mage pleaded beside him, sounding slightly muffled.

"Tch." He glared daggers at the couple. The man was incredibly tall, taller than himself. He was so thin he was basically just skin and bone. Short black hair spiked up in all directions, some of which fell forward to hang over his equally black eyes. Thick eyebrows were raised while he watched their interaction in amusement, a grin stretching his thin lips across his long angular face.

The woman beside him appeared to be the exact opposite. She was very short, and incredibly wide. It was almost unnatural how light she was on her feet with how large she was. Long white hair was pulled up into a high pony tail. Her face was round, large grey eyes staring expressionlessly ahead while her thick lips were pressed into a tight line.

The man in question just laughed and gestured to the woman beside him.

"You're free to go Sam. Regroup with the others and inform them that I'll be there shortly."

Sam bowed to the man, handing him something. "Yes Master Mica." And vanished into an inky black puff of smoke.

The moment she was gone, the captive mage's bodies slumped, finally free from the spell cast on them.

"Now then, where were we? Oh yes." Mica continued on with his droning, but the Dragon Slayer wasn't paying attention to what he was saying.

Laxus couldn't hold back the growls that emanated from his being. His instincts were screaming at him to figure out a way to get out of the cuffs, tear this man limb from limb, and protect his family.

' _But how?'_ He wracked his brain, trying desperately to come up with a solution, only to come up short.

' _There has to be a way. There always is.'_ He glanced back at Freed.

As if sensing his eyes on him, the Rune mage met his gaze. He could tell that the green haired man was having trouble finding a solution as well.

Suddenly a breeze picked up through the clearing, carrying with it a vaguely familiar sweet sent.

' _Who the hell is that?'_ He wondered silently. ' _I know I've picked up that scent before.'_

He forced himself to look around the clearing slowly and only with his eyes.

There, stepping out of the tree-line on the opposite side of them, was a petite blonde.

Her long hair was slightly disheveled, with bits of leaves and twigs stuck in some of the golden strands that fell loosely to her tiny waist. Dirt smudged across one of her cheeks, and with his enhanced sight he could make out tiny scratches adorning her pale legs and arms. There were small tears in her too short denim shorts and pale pink tank top. He noticed the two golden keys in her hand and the determined look in her chocolate eyes.

However, as much as her sudden presence surprised him, that is not what shocked him the most. No, standing next to his fellow blonde was an exact replica of her. Every feature was exactly the same, except this one wore a blue skirt and an orange t-shirt.

' _What the fuck is this? Has Blondie been hiding a twin from the guild all this time?'_

No that's not right.

As the blondes strode closer, Laxus realized that the Lucy wearing the skirt didn't have a scent coming off of her.

"One of her spirits." He heard Freed whisper, low enough that only his Dragon Slayer hearing could pick it up.

Laxus didn't know if he should be worried or grateful. Maybe both, he would decide later.

The closer Blondie and her spirit got to the dark mage, the tighter his fists clenched. He hated being helpless. He felt like a damn damsel in distress.

Then, the Lucy in the shorts stopped a few feet away and cleared her throat, her spirit stopping beside her with her hands on her hips.

Mica's eyes widened marginally and he turned to face the blondes behind him.

"Can I help you ladies?" He asked sounding uncertain.

The spirit-turned-Lucy nodded and placed a hand on her whip. "Actually, yes. We would like to know what you hoped to accomplish by capturing these mages."

Blondie also placed a hand on her whip and widened her stance. "I don't think you realize what a big mistake that was."

Mica laughed loudly, clearly not seeing the small blondes in front of him as a threat. "Friends of yours?"

Lucy glanced at her nakama behind him, briefly meeting his gaze, before returning her attention to the task at hand. "You could say that." She smirked.

The dark mage gestured to the restrained mages and his laughter took a more dangerous edge. "Oh? Well why don't you enlighten me on my supposed _mistake_ before I add you and your sister here to my current list of people to dispose of."

Faster than he could follow, if he wasn't a Dragon Slayer, both blondes fell into an identical battle stance with their whips in hand, snapping at the grass on either side of them.

"Because you just messed with Fairy Tail." Lucy's voice was low and dangerous, but Laxus didn't have time to react to how hot it sounded.

In a flash, both whips were glowing a brilliant blue with what looked like lightening wrapping around it, and flying in different directions.

With an expert flick of the wrist, Lucy's whip snapped at the dark mages chest knocking him back on his ass with an "Oomph."

Laxus felt his jaw drop.

' _Blondie's kind of a badass.'_

Sprit-Lucy's whip shot forward at the fallen mage's face, but before it made contact his hand shot out and caught it mid-air.

Mica got to his feet and pulled the whip, and the spirit, closer to him. "You know I may have changed my mind." He mused, looking the 'sisters' up and down. "How would you beautiful little spitfires like to join our cause?"

Laxus growled at his lecherous tone.

Blondie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Not a chance Jack Skellington."

Bickslow cackled next to me. "Man I wish I could see this."

"Tell me about it." Evergreen quipped, annoyed.

Mica's aura darkened around him. Wisps of menacing shadows seeped from the dark mage.

He pulled the spirit closer and glared at the Celestial mage. "What did you just call me?"

Lucy shrugged indifferently. "You heard me."

Shadows shot forward, enveloping the spirit-Lucy, before they manifested into a handful of jet-black orbs surrounding her from all angles.

Mica laughed haughtily. "Want to run that by me again?"

But Lucy was already moving. Backing away from the group and closer to the tree line, her whip flashed out again, _growing in length_ and landing a hit on the dark mage's face with a _snap_.

Laxus smelled the blood and any trace amounts of gratefulness he previously felt vanished in an instant, being replaced by worry for his nakama.

' _What is she doing? Is she trying to get herself killed?'_

After a moment of eerie silence, the shadows launched at the spirit while Mica lunged forward with his hands out at Lucy.

The Celestial spirit cried out in pain and disappeared in a flash of sparkling golden light.

"What's this? A Celestial spirit mage? Well isn't this my lucky day! Not only do I successfully capture the annoying mages who were sticking their noses into my business, but I find you! A real treasure indeed." He clapped his hands together like a giddy child. "I can't believe I didn't notice those keys sooner. I'm impressed."

"Huh?" Bickslow was just as confused at the rest of them.

One of her delicate blonde eyebrows shot up. "What are you talking about?"

Mica only laughed excitedly as he increased the amount of shadows in front of him. "Don't act so modest, my dear! I've heard the gossip. It seems as though there's only a few of your kind left, and one of them has become, and I quote, 'one of the strongest Celestial mages in history.'" He stepped forward, "This mage is rumored to be in that little guild you mentioned before. Supposedly, she owns ten of the twelve incredibly rare Zodiac keys. It is also rumored that she once demanded the presence of the Spirit King himself to argue one of his rulings. Not only did he comply, but he agreed. Now that's more than impressive."

Freed sucked in a gasp behind him.

Lucy's eyes widened and she took a step back as the man before her chuckled darkly. "I know quite a few people who would love to get their hands on you, darling."

"Blondie run! Get the fuck out of here and contact Gramps! We'll be fine!" Laxus shouted, as he struggled against his restraints.

"Don't be a hero, Cosplayer. We can't back you up if shit hits the fan. You need to run!"

He watched as several emotions flitted across his fellow blonde's face, and he knew what they said had flown in one ear and out the other.

What happened next seemed to play out in slow motion. Lucy resumed her battle stance and focused on the dark mage once more. Her whip shot out, and her other hand flew to her keys.

She didn't get very far before the shadows shot forward, sending the small blonde flying back into the trees.

A moment later, Laxus heard her body bounce off a tree and hit the ground with a thud.

Mica turned back and addressed the Raijinshu. "One moment please." He smiled at the Lightening mage's snarl before disappearing into the foliage to follow her.

"Laxus we have to do something. Lucy could be hurt." Freed was struggling against the restraints.

"I have no idea what happened, but I'm guessing she didn't run." Biscklow groaned, leaning his body forward until the sack slip off his head. "Fuck its nice to see. Ever lean over and try to get the- oh you got it. Nevermind."

Laxus turned to see that the brunette had indeed succeeded in freeing her head.

"Where did Lucy go? We can't let that creep get her." She looked around the clearing franticly in search of her guild mate.

"Don't you think I know that?" Laxus snapped, "Just what do you suppose I do?"

A feminine cry of pain reached his ears and he slammed his bound hands against the grass. "God dammit!"

"My Princess wishes for me to inform you that she has a plan and to wait patiently." A monotone voice popped up from behind them.

A high pitched shriek flew from Bickslow"s mouth as all four mages jumped in surprise.

"Where the fuck did you come from?" Laxus growled at the pink haired maid spirit. She had expressionless blue eyes, and chains dangled from her wrists.

"I have been here the whole time. Princess instructed me to hide behind the trees." Her head cocked to the side as if she was listening for something.

"I must get into position. If you will please excuse me." She bowed deeply before sprinting off to duck behind a tree father up the clearing.

The sound of flowing water filled the space around them, followed by a large wave.

Mica smashed against the tree next to the one where Blondie's spirit was hiding and slumped to the ground as the water receded.

"What the hell?"

"I believe that was another one of Miss Lucy's spirits." Freed explained, sounding somewhat thoughtful.

Movement caught Laxus's eye, and he watched as the pinkette silently crept forward, hands extending towards the disoriented man.

The Dragon Slayer's eyebrow shot up. ' _You've gotta be shitting me. This was her plan?'_

The maid spirit fell back and slid behind the tree again just as he rose back to his feet.

Mica glanced over at his captives, his mouth stretching in an amused grin. "I apologize for the delay. This is getting fun." He waggled his bushy black eyebrows and sauntered back into the forest.

"I can't believe that fucking worked." He was shocked, honestly. That was the stupidest, most juvenile plan he had ever witnessed. It also happened to be genius.

"Man, Cheerleader has a brain on her!" Bickslow exclaimed as the maid spirit crouched in front of him to unlock the shackles on his ankles.

"I have to agree. That plan was simple and efficient. Although, it relied heavily on chance. The events could have played out in a numerous amount of ways." The Rune mage mused.

"Yeah, yeah. Blondie's smart. Now could you hurry up spirit lady? She's still out there by herself, you know."

"You could say she's not out of the woods yet." Three heads turned to level a glare at the man currently being set free. "Ok ok, sorry. It was too good to pass up."

"I hope she's ok. She was thrown pretty far." Ever's voice was laced with worry.

"Princess is alright. She has a backup plan, as always." The spirit reassured as she worked on Bickslow's wrists.

"I hope you're-" Laxus was effectively cut off by an immense wave of magical pressure.

A huge magic circle appeared in the sky and the clearing darkened around them.

"Oh my. I must go." The pinkette hurriedly finished with the cuffs and placed the key in the confused Seith mage's hand.

"What is that?" Evergreen asked in awe.

"The backup plan." The spirit said simply, before bowing deeply and disappearing in a pink puff of smoke.

The Thunder Legion stared in shock and wonder as the sky split open to reveal what looked like the heavens itself. Suddenly, orbs of all different colors poured from the pocket of space, swirling around and hovering near the area where Lucy was.

"Urano Metria!" Blondie's voice rang out from the clearing and the orbs seemed to lock on to their target. There was a blinding flash of light, which made the group of mages clench their eyes shut, and the ground shook.

"Holy shit!" Three heads whipped in shock to the green haired mage, who was openly gaping at the sky where the pocket of space had been.

"Did…did you just curse, Freed?" Ever asked, recovering first.

"Do you realize how much power one must obtain to perform that spell?"

"Isn't that the one she never got to finish at the Games that one time?" The Seith mage let out a low whistle. "Cosplayer would've had that match in the bag if that Raven bitch wouldn't have cheated."

Laxus snapped out of his shock. "Oi! Bicks. Hurry the fuck up and get these things off. We have no idea if that spell even worked, and it's been eerily quiet over there."

"Right."

"Tch."

Bickslow freed his comrades as quickly as he could, and they rushed to where Lucy had disappeared to.

What they saw stopped them in their tracks.

There Lucy sat, leaning heavily against a tree with blood pouring from a wound on her shoulder. Several feet in front of her was a large crater, still steaming, the dark mage laying in an unconscious heap at the bottom.

"Oh thank Mavis." Lucy breathed wearily before falling back, out cold.

"Lucy!" Evergreen cried, racing around the crater to get to the blonde, Freed following closely behind.

Laxus stayed where he was. Still trying to piece together all of the events that had unfolded that day.

' _Where the fuck did she even come from?'_ He silently wondered, watching as Ever gently checked for her pulse, while Freed pressed his handkerchief to her wound.

"She's alright. It seems she just passed out from using too much magical energy. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it also had something to do with being thrown around like a ragdoll." The brunette sighed in relief, tucking a long blonde strand behind the younger mage's ear.

"Yes, and this wound doesn't seem all that deep but it may need stitches." Freed stated in agreement, gazing down at the unconscious woman in wonder.

"Alright. We still need to take this asshole to the authorities and take out the others. That Sam bitch will be easy now that we know her magic. Freed, can you write out some runes to counteract it?" Laxus turned to address his green haired friend.

"I believe so." He nodded, taking out his rapier and getting to work.

The blonde man turned to the other two members of his team. "Bicks, take this guy to the proper authorities and then come find me and Freed to help with the others. Ever, Blondie is small enough. Do you think you're able to carry her back to the inn?"

"In a normal circumstance, yes but how do you expect me to get her through this hellhole? It was hard enough on my own." She gestured to the trees around them. "It took us hours to get to that clearing."

Laxus looked around and cursed.

"Then what do you suggest? We can't just bring her with us. She'd be a sitting duck out there."

There was a moment of silence and surprisingly it was Bickslow who came up with a solution.

"Why don't you take her Laxus?"

"What?" He asked incredulously. Had he lost his mind?

"It would be the fastest way to get her to safety so she can rest. You can teleport, it would take minutes for you to get her out of here." Freed nodded, agreeing with the plan.

"No way. I haven't kicked anyone's ass this whole job. You expect me to just sit in our room with a passed out chick while you guys get all the action?"

"Jeeze man, you're starting to sound a lot like Natsu." Laxus growled dangerously at the Seith mage, who held his hands up in surrender.

"Don't ever compare me to that idiot."

Evergreen cleared her throat delicately. "Anyway, it's the fastest and easiest way Laxus. Whether you like it or not." She gazed down at the blond next to her before adding softly, "She risked her life to free us, you know. We owe her a whole hell of a lot. Getting her back to recover comfortably is the least we can do."

Laxus glared at the Fairy mage for a moment before cursing once again. She was right. The little blonde came out of nowhere, just when they needed her. She was willing to get herself hurt or worse to get them out of there. He may be stubborn and kind of an asshole, but he knew that he owed the Celestial mage big time for this.

"Tch. Fine." He stomped towards Lucy before crouching down and scooping her up, surprised to find how light she really was. "You go with Freed. When you finish up there, meet back with the client and come back to the inn."

Laxus walked a few feet away before channeling his magic, letting it pour out of him to cover the woman in his arms.

The lightening pulsed and crackled around them. There was a loud crack of thunder and then they were standing were the Raijinshu hand entered the forest earlier that day.

}{}{}{

If there was one thing he learned on the walk back to their inn, it was that carrying a battered and unconscious woman through town elicited an abundance of stares.

It actually slightly concerned the Dragon Slayer that no one made any sort of movement to make sure the girl was alright, and not being kidnapped.

Glancing down at the woman in his arms, he took the chance to really study her.

Her long golden hair framed her heart-shaped face. Long eyelashes rested on her dirt smudged cheeks. Her full pink lips turned down in a slight frown.

There was no denying it. Any man with eyes and a working dick could see that even covered head-to-toe in small cuts and dirt, she was a beauty.

" _I know quite a few people who would love to get their hands on you, darling."_

Mica's words from earlier echoed through his head and he frowned deeply at the thought, a strange feeling tightening in his chest.

He shook his head and continued on. Twenty minutes later, he was pulling the key out of his now unlocked door.

Laxus walked into the room, nudging the door shut with this elbow and moved to the nearest bed.

Laying her down gently, he peeled back the soiled handkerchief and silently thanked Mavis. The bleeding had stopped on its own and wouldn't require any stitches. He hated giving stitches. It honestly grossed him out.

Shivering at the images that popped into his head, Laxus turned to grab the first aid kit from the bathroom.

In no time, her wound was cleaned and patched up and Laxus was sitting on the bed next to hers bored out of his mind.

With a sigh, he dug out his sound pod and placed the spikey headphones over his ears.

The blonde man glanced one more time at the woman fast asleep before leaning back against the wooden headboard, closing his eyes, and cranking the volume.

No matter what he tried thinking about, his thoughts always returned to the Celestial mage.

He had so many questions. Was she really one of the only Celestial mages left? Where did they all go? What made Blondie so powerful? What would they do with her? Why does she smell like strawberries and cream? Does her back hurt lugging around that rack every day? Why did she get that odd tattoo? What does it mean?

It went on and on, and it was starting to drive him insane.

Laxus slid his hand over his face with a groan.

' _Jesus fuck. Get a grip man. Why are you being so damn nosey?'_

But He was bored. With nothing else to do he found himself questioning just about everything he knew, which was very little, about her.

Sensing a change in her, he slowly rose to his feet and stood, looking down at his fellow blonde. Her delicate eyebrows were furrowed and her lips were pursed together. Her small hands were clenched into fists at her sides.

' _Pain,'_ he realized, ' _She's in pain.'_

"Blondie. You ok?"

Her breathing was becoming erratic, chest heaving. Laxus could hear her heart pounding furiously in her chest.

"Oi, what's the matter? What hur-"

"Aquarius." His head cocked to the side as he watched her dainty hand lift up to settle on her chest. She let out a small whimper.

Salt assaulted his nose and his eyes snapped back up to her face. Tears were leaking out of the corners of her closed eyes. "Come back." Her voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper. "Don't go." A quiet sob escaped her lips.

Laxus stood frozen at the sight before him. He hated it when girls cried. He never knew what to do.

' _She's still asleep? Who the hell is Aquarius? Where'd she go? Stop being so fucking nosey!'_

He listened as her heartbeat slowed, her breathing starting to even out.

After a moment, she was completely still again so he turned and resumed his previous position on his own bed.

Right as he was about to crank the volume back up on his sound pod, a broken whisper drifted from the unconscious blonde in the bed beside him that made his heart clench involuntarily in his chest.

"Everyone leaves."

 **Have you ever just drawn a complete blank while staring at a word? You've used this word probably hundreds of times in your life. Then suddenly it looks weird. Is that really how it's spelled? Am I pronouncing it right? It means what I think it means, right? IS IT EVEN A REAL WORD? Have I been using it my whole life and it doesn't really exist?**

 **Yeah, that's when you know its bed time. Until next time, loves.**


	3. The Phoenix

**Hey guys! Just letting you know that if you were confused about Lucy's plan and Virgo's role in it, I will be explaining it a little more in this chapter. No worries**

 **Thank you so much for all the favs/follows/reviews. It makes me feel a whole lot less stupid when it comes to my writing.**

 **Shout out to all the dorks (like me) who automatically think "Rice Krispies!" after reading the title of this story. Weirdos unite! ;)**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail.**

 **Anyhoo, onwards!**

"Has she woken up at all?" Ever asked worriedly as she paced back in forth in the room.

"No. Well she had this weird thing but I don't think she was awake for it." Laxus admitted, still sitting on his bed against the headboard.

It had taken his team four hours to round up Mica's followers and release them to the proper authorities. The requester, according to them, was ecstatic that it was taken care of so quickly and gave them the full reward.

Now, Ever was pacing like she usually did whenever one of them was injured. Bickslow was off chasing some 'outrageously bangable' chick he saw in the lobby and Freed was sitting at the small desk by the window, nose deep in a book like always.

Ever stopped in her tracks to face the Dragon Slayer, "What do you mean _'weird thing'_? What happened?"

"Jesus Ever calm down. It was just a bad dream or something. She's fine."

The brunette looked at the unconscious blonde who was now sleeping peacefully and then resumed her pacing.

Laxus tipped his head back against the headboard and suppressed a groan.

" _Everyone leaves."_

He straightened and looked at the girl's sleeping face.

"Hey Ever?"

"Yeah?"

"What do we know about her?"

She stopped and looked at him, head cocked to the side. "What do you mean?"

He sighed. "Just wondering what we know about her. Like her past and shit."

Freed looked up from his book, suddenly interested in the conversation. "Why do you ask?"

"Tch. No reason." He grumbled, already regretting asking them.

Ever sat down at the foot of his bed and tapped her chin in thought.

"Well I don't know much since we're not really friends. What I do know is from what I've heard around the guild."

Laxus waited for her to continue, ignoring the curious look the Rune mage was giving him.

"Well, I know she came from a wealthy family. Then Phantom Lord happened."

He looked away. Laxus didn't like to be reminded of how big of a pompous ass he used to be.

Taking the hint, she didn't elaborate further. "Um. I heard that she gets kidnapped a lot. There was the Infinity Clock thing, which most of us were involved in. I guess it got pretty personal for her at the end. I heard from Levy that she's writing a novel. I saw a few articles written by her in Sorcerer Weekly while the guild was disbanded."

"That's it?" Laxus asked dubiously.

Ever scratched her head and laughed nervously. "Well I did hear this one rumor….but there's really no proof or anything-"

"What is it." He looked at her expectantly.

"Its not much, I just overheard Lisanna telling Laki in the bath house that she heard something about Tartaros."

"What did she say?" Freed asked, putting down his book and turning to give her his full attention.

"She told her she heard that while we were all trapped in that spell, Lucy was somehow the only one not affected by it. No one knows what happened during that time, and no one knows how the spell was even broken. All anyone knows is that somehow while we were under that spell, the Cube was destroyed. She also said that she saw Cana try to ask her about it once and Lucy just got up, grabbed a job and took off."

"Interesting." Freed looked over at the Celestial mage.

All previous questions that plagued him earlier rushed to the forefront of his mind along with new ones that formed from this information.

Laxus looked to Freed. "You got anything?"

"I have but a mere observation." He says with a nod. "It seems as though Miss Lucy and Natsu aren't as close as they used to be."

Evergreen stood and stretched her arms up over her head. "Now that you mention it, that relationship seems to have ended. I wonder what happened with that."

"I haven't the slightest idea. Most of the guild believes they were a couple, however when either of them were confronted on it, it was immediately denied." Freed paused and then turned to face him directly. "Laxus, may I ask why you're suddenly so interested in Miss Lucy's history?"

He thought over his options while watching two of his closest, and only, friends.

"Will you drop it if I say it's nothing?"

Evergreen snorted and hid her smirk behind her fan.

Laxus sighed in defeat. "She was just saying some stuff in her sleep, and I was trying to figure it out."

"Oh? What did she say?" He could tell that Freed was steadily growing more curious of the situation and Laxus knew that if anyone, his green haired friend could solve this odd puzzle.

The Lightening mage suddenly felt like he was about to share incredibly private information. "Well she started crying. Then she said something about wanting an Aquarius to come back." He paused and debated if he should share the next part. It just seemed so personal. "She calmed down after a minute and I thought it was over, but then I heard her say ' _everyone leaves.'_ "

Evergreen gasped, lowering her fan and placing a hand over her heart. "That's so sad."

Freed nodded. "It seems as though Miss Lucy is dealing with some things."

Laxus made a sound of agreement, and then groaned when he saw the look in Evergreens eyes.

"Ever, god dammit no." He pointed at her. "Blondie here is not some stray cat, or a lost puppy that you can bring home because you feel bad."

Tears leaked from her wide pleading eyes. "But Laxus, it's just so _sad_."

They stared at each other for several long moments, refusing to back down.

Realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, he ran a hand over his face and sighed.

Evergreen jumped up and laughed triumphantly.

"Don't get too excited. Like I said she isn't some stray animal. Just what do you plan to do?"

Ever quickly sat back down with a frown. "I have no idea."

Losing interest, Freed went back to his book, and after a while Evergreen got up to continue her pacing. This time it was in concentration.

An hour later a very happy Bickslow returned to their room and plopped down next to Laxus.

Taking off his visor, he gestured to the still pacing Evergreen. "What is she trying to figure out?"

The blonde man grunted. "Who the fuck knows with that chick."

"This is true. How's Cosplayer?" His babies came to rest on top of the headboard he was leaning on, repeating "Cosplayer! Cosplayer!"

"Long version or short version?"

Bickslow raised a brow before he replied, "Uhh short version."

"Good. Cause there's no way I'm going over the whole fuckin thing all over again." He grumbled.

The Seith mage cackled, "Figures. Go on."

"She's fine, but had a nightmare and said some sad shit. Now the cat lady over there is trying to find a way to bring her home without actually bringing her home, because she's not a damn stray cat."

Bickslow stroked his chin in mock thought, "That is quite the dilemma. Hmmm." He pretended to contemplate something for a moment and then shrugged. "I got nothing."

Evergreen turned and whipped her fan at him without disrupting her pacing.

He toppled off the bed on impact with a startled shout. "Ouch, damn woman retract the claws." He sat up and rubbed his head to see that she wasn't even paying attention to him.

"Wow, she means business."

Suddenly she stopped and whirled to face them. "I got it!"

Laxus raised a brow but otherwise said nothing.

"Let's be her friends!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Bickslow remained on the floor, resting his chin on the bed as he watched the brunette jump up and down. "Huh?"

"I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. We can help her by becoming her friends!"

Laxus sighed. "I'm not following you, four eyes."

Choosing to ignore his jab, she explained. "Well when one is going through a hard time, what's better than having friends to rely on?"

"Yeah, but she already has friends. She has her team." Bickslow pointed out.

"But does she? I mean we already determined that her and Natsu split. Which means that whole dynamic is probably off."

"I don't think she-"

Evergreen leveled a glare at him. "I don't care. We _all_ will try to become her friends and that is final. We do owe her, after all."

She looked pointedly at all three men before they resigned and grudgingly agreed.

"Fine." Laxus huffed, "but if she doesn't want any new friends, we back off. Ok?"

The Fairy mage squealed and nodded enthusiastically, catching her fan when Bickslow tossed it back to her.

"What's going on?" A soft female voice questioned from the other bed in the room. Lucy was leaning up on one elbow, blinking sleepily at the group of mages in the room. She grimaced slightly and hissed when her movements pulled at her injured shoulder.

Evergreen rushed to her side, her previous excitement immediately replaced with concern.

"We're back at our inn. Are you ok? Do you want some water?" She plucked the pillows from beneath her head and propped them up against the headboard, then slowly helped her into a sitting position.

Without waiting for an answer, Evergreen darted to their packs and pulled out a bottle of water.

Lucy took it and smiled gratefully at the Fairy mage. "Thank you, Evergreen."

The brunette smiled widely back. "It's no problem at all Lucy!"

Laxus watched her take a small sip before replacing the cap and setting it on the wooden table that was in between their beds. Noticing that all eyes were on her, she flushed and looked out the window at the darkened sky. She cleared her throat. "Sorry for passing out like that. I appreciate you all taking care of me, but I should probably get going."

She swung her legs over the side and stood on wobbly legs.

The Raijinshu gaped at her.

"What the hell are you apologizing for, Cosplayer?" Bickslow asked, breaking from his stupor first.

Lucy looked at him questioningly for a moment before attempting to take a step forward.

This seemed to snap Evergreen out of it as she grabbed the Celestial mage, mindful of her shoulder, and guided her to sit back down on the bed.

"You need to sit back and rest, Lucy." The brunette scolded gently.

Shaking her head, she sighed. "I'm fine. You guys don't need to help me any more than you have already."

Laxus growled in annoyance and stood from the bed to lean on the wall by the desk, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just stay down and shut up, Blondie. You're fine where you're at."

Her eyes widened in surprise at his sudden demand, but she complied after a moment and leaned back against her propped up pillows.

It was silent for a moment before she spoke up again.

"Did I get him?" she asked quietly.

Evergreen scoffed. "You're kidding, right? That creep will be out for days!"

"Yeah Cosplayer, I wasn't able to see any of it, but you sounded like a total baddass!" Bickslow chirped, taking a seat next to Evergreen on the edge of her bed.

"About that." Laxus gruffly interrupted, and she turned to face him with a raised brow.

"Hm?" Her small hand lifted to her hair as she absentmindedly started picking out leaves and small twigs.

"What kind of a plan was that?"

Her head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

He stared at her for a moment before continuing. "I _mean_ , what kind of a plan is 'let's get knocked around while my spirit hides and waits to steal the key from the bad guy's pocket and hope he doesn't notice?'"

Lucy puffed out her cheeks and looked away. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Well yeah, but that's not the fucking point. What if he did happen to notice there was someone digging through his pocket? What would've happened then?"

She faced him again, her brown eyes hard. "I would've figured it out."

Evergreen looked between the two as they glared at each other and sighed.

Turning back to Lucy, she smiled apologetically. "Ignore him. What he means to say, is thank you. We are lucky you showed up out of nowhere and we are so grateful." She turned and looked pointedly at her team. "Right guys?"

Laxus grunted, and the other two gave thanks of their own.

Lucy just waved them off, her cheeks tinged red. "Don't worry about it. We're nakama. You would've done the same for me."

A doorbell rang and the maid spirit from before appeared beside Bickslow, who let out yet another girlish shriek and flailed off the bed. Evergreen snickered behind her fan.

"Princess, I have brought you your bag." The pinkette held it out to her as she bowed deeply. "Punishment?"

Laxus's brows shot up to his hairline and Bickslow started cackling on the floor.

"Wow, Cosplayer. I knew you were great with a whip and all, but I didn't think you'd be _that_ kinky."

Lucy takes her bag, ignoring everyone's shocked faces. "No Virgo, no punishment."

The blonde's face broke out into a bright smile. "Thank you for your help today, Virgo. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you and Gemini. Could you pass along my thanks?"

Though just as emotionless, Laxus sees the spirit's eyes soften slightly.

"Of course, Princess. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

The blonde shook her head. "You've done plenty. Just let Cancer know I may call him later if I can't get all this crap out of my hair."

"Yes, Princess." She bowed once more and disappeared back into the Spirit World.

Laxus looked over to Freed to find him watching her with a strange expression on his face.

Sensing eyes on him, he met his questioning gaze and shook his head, mouthing "Later."

}{}{}{

Later that evening, after some begging, Lucy was able to convince Evergreen to let her shower on her own.

She was confused as to why the older woman was fretting over her. It was touching, but completely unexpected.

Throughout the years, she had always seen Evergreen as prideful, strong, and maybe a little snobbish. Not once would Lucy have guessed that the 'Queen of The Fairies' was actually an extremely caring and enthusiastic girl outside of the guild.

"If you need anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to call for me. You expelled a lot of magic today so I don't want you to overdo it." She lectured with a gentle smile as she guided the blonde to the bathroom.

"Thank you Evergreen. I think I'll be fine. My legs don't feel like jelly anymore and my headache is starting to go away. Plus my magic is already halfway back to normal. After a good night's rest I should be good as new." Lucy said, throwing the Fairy mage a wink before flipping on the light and stepping inside.

Evergreen's smile grew wider. "If you say so. Just let me know, ok?"

"I promise." Giving a little wave, she closed the door.

The guys had gone out in search of food after her stomach started growling loud enough it could've alerted the next town over. Bickslow laughed his ass of, saying she 'angered the beast' before resting his head on it and began growling back.

After a swift 'Lucy Kick' to the face, which she still wondered how she pulled off while laying down, Evergreen shooed them out of the room to find sustenance.

On several occasions, she caught Freed watching her curiously. It happened so often she ended up asking Evergreen if she had some strange creature on her face.

What surprised her the most about everything however, was the hulking Dragon Slayer that was their leader.

She noticed he wasn't as tense as he normal was at the guild. He talked more and seemed less menacing. The man had even laughed a few times.

It made Lucy wonder what made him the way he was. Sure she heard the stories of how his awful father inserted a lacrima into his face when he was a child, just to make him stronger. But she found herself wondering about just who Laxus Dreyar really was.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she took one look in the mirror and grimaced.

' _Cancer.'_ She summoned silently.

There was a flash, and the crab Zodiac was standing beside her.

"What can I do for you- Oh my." He gasped dramatically and raised his scissors. "Leave it to me, baby."

Lucy sighed as her loyal spirit got to work. A few minutes later, the sound of snipping stopped, and she was turned to face the mirror again.

"All done, baby. Good as new."

She beamed at her friend in the reflection. "Thank you so much, Cancer. What would I do without you?"

"You'd no doubt be bald, baby." He chuckled and closed his own Gate before she could retaliate.

She gaped at the space where her spirit had been before sighing in defeat.

"He's probably right."

As the water warmed up in the shower, she examined herself further. Angry red scratched littered her arms and legs. She peeled back the bandage slightly to see the wound from where one of Mica's shadows grazed her cleaned and already scabbed over. Bruises were forming in several places, including her right cheekbone and her hip. The back of her head throbbed from when she collided with a tree and she turned to examine the other side of her.

Violent purple bruises covered her slender back from being thrown against trees repeatedly.

' _Tomorrow is going to suck.'_ She groaned internally at how sore she knew she'd be when she woke up.

She hadn't meant to pass out like she did, but summoning a wave of that size and then using Urano Metria, along with two Zodiac keys sucked up quite a bit of her magic. Thankfully, her magic seemed to replenish itself a lot faster since Aquarius gifted her with water magic.

Lucy looked at the black mark on her chest, tracing it lightly with the tips of her fingers. Sighing wistfully, she turned back to the running shower.

Satisfied with the water's temperature she quickly climbed in. A hiss escaped her lips as the water hit her damaged skin.

Lucy washed herself of the dirt and grime the day had covered her in quickly and stepped out of the shower to dry off.

She pulled her wet hair into a sloppy bun on top of her head and dressed herself in her night clothes.

The bright pink tank top and grey pajama shorts did little to cover any of her bruises, and she just knew that it would send Evergreen's worrying into overdrive.

With a dejected sigh, she shoved her dirty clothes into her bag and padded to the door.

"What the hell are you doing back here? Where are the others?" Evergreen's stern voice came from behind the door.

"Laxus told me to come back because he wanted to talk to Freed about something in private." She heard Bickslow grumble. "Fine by me. I was getting sick of hearing that overgrown light socket bitch about how stupid Cosplayer's plan was today. Seriously Ever, it was all he'd talk about. I get that shit could've gone wrong, but that spirit proved to be a very talented pickpocket so he needs to just let it go."

Evergreen sighed. "He will eventually, Bicks. You know how he worries."

"Yeah….Hey! Did you give that part of the reward to her yet?"

Lucy gasped and pressed her ear against the door so she could hear them better.

' _They're giving me part of the reward?'_

"No. I'm waiting until her levels are back to normal."

Bickslow snorted. "And you said that Laxus was the one that worries. Ouch! Dammit woman, one of these days you're going to wake up to find that damn fan in a very unsavory place. Ow! Ok, ok I'm sorry! Cut it out." His babies giggled.

"Of course I'm worried. She put her life out on the line for us today. There was a huge chance that she wouldn't come out of this at all, but she did it anyway. As far as I'm concerned, that girl is a freaking angel sent from above. I will personally see to it that she is safe, healthy, and happy. Not because I feel obligated, but because I want to. If I come off as an overbearing worrywart then so be it."

Lucy backed away from the door, eyes shining.

She was touched at how passionately the older girl spoke of her. And Laxus? Worried about her?

' _Stop it, Lucy. You're doing it again.'_ The realistic part of her whispered in her head. _'Don't get too attached.'_

Patting her cheeks lightly, she pushed and shoved all those warm feelings down and locked them away.

Lucy took a deep breath to steel herself, turned the knob, and stepped out into the room.

}{}{}{

"Hurry up Bickslow! We're going to miss the continental breakfast!" Laxus rubbed his temples while Evergreen pounded on the bathroom door. It was too early for this shit.

"I'm almost done. Chill the fuck out, woman!" Came the Seith mage's reply from inside the shower.

There was a giggle next to him, and Laxus looked down to find Lucy watching the spectacle in amusement. "Are they always like this?" She asked, leaning against the wall and mirroring his stance.

He winced as the Fairy mage threatened to break down the door and turn everything but his balls to stone and kick them repeatedly. "Pretty much."

She sighed and tucked a strand of her long golden hair behind her ear.

"You do that a lot." He said, keeping his eyes on his friend as she kicked open the door and stomped inside the bathroom.

"Do what?" She asked.

"Sigh. You sigh a lot."

She was silent for a moment. "Oh. I didn't realize."

There was a male shriek and a loud thud.

"Shouldn't you stop them?" She asked, gesturing to the bathroom.

"Tch. Hell no. Last time I got between those two I ended up a statue for over an hour."

Evergreen came stomping back out into the room dragging a soaking wet and very naked Seith mage by his ear lobe.

Lucy turned a brilliant shade of red and her hands flew up to cover her eyes.

Laxus openly laughed at her discomfort. "What, Blondie? Haven't you ever seen a man's junk before?"

She reached out blindly and smacked his arm. "O-of course I have. I see Gray's all the time."

"I'm fairly certain that all of Earthland has seen that buffoon's genitalia." Freed piped in from where he was packing his books away.

"Don't forget Edolas." Bickslow added, throwing on a pair of boxers. He studied Lucy for a minute before breaking out into a shit eating grin. "No fucking way!" His wooden totems started spinning in the air laughing gleefully.

Laxus looked between them for a moment before sharing a look with Evergreen.

She just shrugged and sat down at the foot of the bed that she and Lucy shared the night before.

"Cosplayer….Are you a virgin?"

"Virgin! Virgin!"

Laxus's eyes widened as her blush deepened even further.

"Sh-shut up!"

' _Seriously? How has nobody tapped that?'_

"Leave her alone, Bicks! Not everyone is a slut like you!" Evergreen said, coming to wrap an arm around the blonde's uninjured shoulder. "I think it's great!" She chirped.

Lucy dropped her hands and gave her a grateful smile.

"I guess, but aren't you in your twenties?" He started throwing on his armor. "Unless you're not in to dudes. That would make sense." He perked up. "Actually, that would-"

Laxus sent a small bolt of lightning in his direction. "Holy fuck that hurt! Why'd you do that?"

"You're voice was grating on my eardrums." He grumbled.

Lucy laughed as his arms twitched from the shock, and the corner of his lips twitched up into a small smile.

"Are we going to go eat or what?" He asked gruffly, straightening up and turning to the door.

The group of mages filed down the hallway towards the dining hall where breakfast was being served. They all piled food on their plates and found a large table in the corner.

They sat and ate their food, Ever and Bickslow arguing about dolphins and their sexuality. Freed had a book open next to his plate of waffles, and Lucy was staring out the window next to her while occasionally taking a bite of her scrambled eggs.

Laxus cleared his throat. "Ever, you got that thing with you?"

She looked over at him, her face lighting up with a smile and nodded.

"Lucy?" She asked.

The Celestial mage turned to look at her guild mate. "Hm?"

"How are you feeling this morning?"

Laxus and Bickslow rolled their eyes.

Lucy looked between the two curiously before smiling at the brunette. "A little sore, but my magic levels are back to normal. Why do you ask?"

Evergreen grinned and pulled out a small bundle of red fabric. "Our client gave this to us as part of our reward. Since you helped so much, we thought you should have it." She slid the bundle across the table and in front of her.

Lucy frowned and tried pushing it back. "I couldn't, it wasn't my job-"

"No! We insist, and we will continue to insist until you give in." she said stubbornly.

The blonde stared down at the bundle for a moment, before slowly reaching to pick it up. She started unwrapping the red cloth, before her eyes grew wide and she gasped.

"You guys are giving me a Gate key?" She asked, never taking her eyes off of the silver key in her hands.

"Yep!" Ever nodded enthusiastically.

Freed looked up from his book. "You deserve it."

Laxus grunted his agreement and kicked Bickslow from under the table.

He yelped. "Yeah totally!"

Lucy looked at the mages sitting around her and Laxus could smell the salt as her eyes began to water.

Then her eyes seemed to glaze over, but not from her unshed tears. She shook her head and took a deep breath, clenching her eyes shut. When she opened them again the tears were gone.

' _What was that about?'_ He wondered silently as he shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth.

"So? Which one is it?" Evergreen asked, leaning over to peak at it.

Lucy looked down at it once more. "Oh. _Oh_! This could make my life so much easier!" She beamed up at the brunette. "It's the Phoenix!"

"You mean the mythical creature that bursts into flames when it dies and then is reborn from the ashes?" Freed asked, intrigued.

"That sounds badass." Bickslow leaned forward to get a better look at it while his totems cheered his last word.

Lucy giggled. "The Phoenix is a healer, kind of like Wendy." She bounced a little in her seat. "Maybe I can make a contract with him before I take off and he can heal me a little."

Laxus nodded. "Sounds like a plan. After breakfast we can go and make your little contract thing and then we'll head out. Do you guys want to walk first or take the train first?"

"Let's walk first. We took the train first last time." Bickslow said, winking at a woman in one of the inn's uniforms as she walked past.

"Wait, hold up. You guys want me to travel back to the guild with you?" Lucy asked looking at everyone with an odd expression on her face.

' _What is her deal? Is it really all that shocking that we'd go back together?'_ Laxus leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest.

"Well duh, Blondie. We're all going the same way. Might as well."

She thought about it for a moment before nodding. "What did you mean by walking first and then taking the train?"

Evergreen smiled at her before standing with her empty plate. "Oh that? Sometimes we like to split up our travel back. It makes it less boring. So this time, we'll walk for about three days, and then we'll find a station and take the train the remaining distance back. It takes longer but we like it."

"Ok. Then I really want to get healed up before we head out." She said, standing as well.

Laxus stood and grabbed the four empty plates in front of him. "Then let's go."

}{}{}{

Lucy smiled at the spirit in front of her. He was tall and limber looking, with lean muscles that didn't stand out, but you could tell they were there. He had deeply tanned skin, and stood barefoot and shirtless in front of her. The only thing he had on was a pair of khaki shorts that stopped at his knees, and a gold hoop in his left ear. His hair was platinum blonde and cropped short. Large blood red wings extended out behind him, with the tips of their feathers fading into a fiery orange.

They had found an empty little playground that was sitting next to a small clearing. Not knowing how large the spirit would be, Lucy decided it was the safest place to summon him.

Emerald green eyes regarded her warily as he straightened from a bow.

"How can I help you, new master?"

She waved him off, "None of that master stuff. Just Lucy is fine. My spirits are my friends." She took out her notebook and flipped it open to the next blank page.

The spirit gasped. "You're Lucy? As in Lucy Heartfilia?"

Lucy winked. "The one and only! Would you like to make a contract?"

He bowed once again, "It would be an honor to make a contract with the Princess."

"Awww come on. Not you too." She whined. "Just Lucy is fine, I promise."

"I stand by the title." He said, straightening up again. "You may call me Ankaa."

"Nice to meet you Ankaa. What are your abilities?" She asked, readying her pencil.

"My main ability is healing. The stronger my contractor, the more I am able to heal. I am able to wield some flames, but I prefer to stay out of combat situations. However, for you I will certainly fight if you ask it of me."

Lucy nodded and jotted everything down. "I promise I will never ask you to fight unless absolutely necessary. When are you available?"

"Every day except for the first Wednesday of every month."

She wrote that down and shut her notebook. "Alright Ankaa, it was a pleasure to meet you. You may go if you wish."

Ankaa looked down to his new key-holder and frowned.

"Princess, would you like me to heal your wounds?"

Lucy smacked a hand to her forehead. "I totally forgot! That would be amazing."

Ankaa took a step forward and peeled off her bandage. "Ready?"

She nodded. "Ready when you are!"

He pressed his hand to the gash on her shoulder.

"Oh!" She gasped. Warmth flooded her body, chasing away all of her aches and pains. "That feels wonderful."

His hand lingered a little longer and she looked up to see him staring at the mark on her chest. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Lucy took a step back and forced a smile for her new friend. "Nothing for you to apologize for. Thank you very much, Ankaa."

The Phoenix spirit cleared his throat and bowed. "No, thank you. I look forward to our time together." Fire engulfed his body and he disappeared.

"That was so cool!" Evergreen exclaimed as she turned to the Raijinshu, who were standing a few feet behind her to watch. "And look! You only have a few light bruises left!"

Without having to look, she knew she was right. Her body felt better than it had in a long time.

Lucy smiled. "Thanks you guys. It really means a lot to me that you'd give me the key, even though it was part of your reward."

Evergreen opened her mouth to respond, but Laxus cut her off. "Let's get going." He said, pushing himself from the tree he was leaning on.

' _What's his problem?'_ She grumbled internally, before sprinting to catch up with everyone.

}{}{}{

"Just chop them off." Bickslow begged, flopping down face first on to the mossy forest floor, his babies floating down to lay on his back chirping "Chop! Chop!"

"You're the one who wanted to walk first. So suck it up buttercup." Evergreen kicked at his legs and he just moaned.

They had walked all day, only stopping to grab lunch and dinner. They decided that camping would be the easiest instead of venturing way off track to find an inn when they had to cut through the woods anyway.

Lucy quickly learned that Bickslow complained more than anyone she had ever met.

"I guess we can set up camp here." Laxus said, throwing his pack down.

"Do we have tents?" She asked.

Bickslow sat up, causing his babies to slide right off of him. "I wish. But it's easier to travel without them."

Lucy nodded. "Makes sense."

She eyed the forest floor in disdain. "I don't have a bedroll." She muttered.

A doorbell sounded, and Virgo appeared next to Bickslow, who's shriek echoed off the trees. "Princess, I brought you a bedroll. Aries made it." She held it out to the blonde as she bowed. "Punishment?"

"God dammit! Cosplayer will you stop doing that?" Bickslow bellowed.

Lucy raised a brow and took the roll from her spirit. "No punishment. Thank you, Virgo." With another bow, the pinkette disappeared.

She turned to the Seith mage. "Doing what?"

He took off his visor and used it to gesture to where her spirit used to be. "Making her pop up only by me, just to freak me out!"

"I didn't do that. I didn't even summon her." She smirked. "I think she just likes you."

He gaped at her. "W-what? How does scaring the piss out of someone mean that they like the person?!"

She just shrugged. "That's just Virgo. She used to do it to Gray all of the time. It went on for years."

His eyes widened and he gulped. "Years?"

"Yep" she said, popping the 'p'.

Evergreen snickered behind her fan. "I think that's my favorite spirit, Lu."

Lucy froze.

The brunette's eyes widened and her cheeks turned red. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"No it's ok. A few people call me that. I have an abundance of nicknames."

The Fairy mage visibly relaxed. "Oh good. You can call me Ever if you want."

The blonde smiled and nodded. "Alright."

' _Relax Lucy, it's just a nickname.'_

The group found a spot with relatively flat ground and worked together to set up camp. Well, Bickslow moped and the rest of them worked.

Freed dug a small pit, while Lucy and Evergreen cleared away twigs and rocks and set up their bed rolls. Laxus wandered off in search of firewood.

Half an hour later, the girls were sitting on a fallen log chatting away about meaningless things when Laxus returned. He dropped the large pile of wood except for a few, which he threw into the pit.

Lucy felt the hair on her arms stand up while he channeled some of his magic, lightning arcing from his hand and hitting the logs. The logs smoked and Freed crouched down to gently blow at it. In no time, a fire was blazing.

Laxus shrugged off his jacket and hung it on a low hanging branch. He dusted off his purple button down shirt and black dress pants before taking a seat next to Evergreen.

"Where'd Bicks run off to?" He asked.

Evergreen shrugged. "Who knows. Knowing him he found some forest nymph to go screw around with."

Lucy giggled. "That actually wouldn't surprise me."

Laxus grunted his agreement. "Anyone know the time?"

She brushed her fingers over Horologium's key. "8:15"

The mages turned and looked at her oddly.

"How'd you know that so fast?" Ever asked.

She just shrugged. "One of my keys."

There was a moment of silence before Laxus spoke up. "What's its name?"

Lucy turned and blinked at the large man. "Huh?"

"Tch. I _said_ what's its name?" He crossed his arms over his broad chest, eyes never leaving the fire.

It took a moment to form words. No one asked about her spirits like that. The fact that of all people Laxus Dreyar, the poster child for 'I don't give a shit', was the one asking completely caught her off guard.

"His name is Horologium."

"Does he just tell time?" Evergreen asked from next to her.

A warm feeling started to spread through her chest.

"Oh um, no actually.." The next fifteen minutes were spent explaining in detail of her clock spirit's abilities while they listened.

Evergreen asked questions occasionally and Laxus nodded on occasion, never looking away from the fire.

The warmth in her chest grew. It was one thing to have a question, but never before had someone listen to her talk about her spirits and actually pay attention. Natsu would almost fall asleep whenever she started talking about them with him.

' _I wonder what he's doing right now. Probably fighting with Gray over something stupid.'_

"Oi, Blondie. You still with us?"

Startled, Lucy yelped.

Evergreen looked at her with concern in her eyes. "You ok, Lu? You stopped talking and started staring off into space."

Lucy scratched her neck sheepishly. "Oh sorry. Just getting tired I guess."

They looked at her for a moment before Laxus rose to his feet. "We should all crash. Early day tomorrow." He walked to his bedroll and sat down, slipping on his headphones.

"He's right. C'mon let's go." The Fairy mage grabbed her elbow and led her to their bed rolls that were next to each other a few feet away from the fire.

Lucy laid down on her back and looked up at the almost completely darkened sky. More and more stars were starting to show themselves.

The sound of a twig snapping sent her hand flying to her keys and she sat up quickly.

Bickslow stomped into their campsite and flopped down on his bedroll with a loud groan, his babies floating down to snuggle around the Seith mage.

Lucy sighed in relief and laid back down to stare at the sky. It was going to be a long night. She always felt too energized when she laid out under the stars.

She laid like that for several hours, just watching the sky with her hands folded behind her head.

The others eventually settled down and after a small fight between Bicks and Ever about one of his babies coming to rest on her ass, it grew quiet.

Lucy listened to their soft snores and sighed. She missed her team, the way things used to be. She missed the time when all she had to worry about was Natsu eating all her food and what adventure they would have next. She wondered if she should try talking to him about everything. Maybe they could be close again.

' _No, Lucy. He'll just leave again.'_

Moister filled her eyes and she shook her head, forcing herself to focus on the stars. She could make out a few constellations, but it wasn't enough. The trees were blocking her view and soon she grew frustrated.

She sat up and looked around. From what she could make out thanks to the flickering light of the dwindling fire, the Raijinshu were sleeping peacefully.

Standing up, Lucy looked to her travel companions once more before quietly walking away from the camp, completely unaware of the stormy blue eyes that watched her go.

 **Fun fact! Ankaa is actually the name of the brightest star of the Phoenix constellation, Alpha Phoenicis. It's Arabic and means 'the Phoenix.'**

 **Thank you, Google.**


	4. A Little Bit Closer

**To the parents out there. Have you ever had one of those days where your child/children are just being** _ **awful?**_ **Like really** _ **really**_ **bad?**

 **That was the twins today. They're two, so that's pretty self-explanatory.**

 **Thing One just dumps out the shoe bin and stacks all of them on the entertainment center, while Thing Two keeps standing up on the coffee table looking me in the eye while he shrieks for no reason.**

 **You want to scream at them, but screaming at toddlers (even if they are acting like they're possessed) isn't very manly. Instead of doing that you calmly place them in time-out, lock yourself in the bathroom, and let out strangled cat noises while you rip out your hair.**

 **That's how my day's going.**

 **Sigh.**

 **So anyway, let me know what you think or if you have any ideas. I'm always open to listen to ideas, even if it's about another story. Or if you just want to chat. I'm ok with that, too.**

 **Onwards!**

Laxus couldn't fall asleep. Something was nagging at him but he didn't know what it was. All he knew was that it was about the blonde that was currently looking up at the sky from her ridiculous pink bedroll.

And that Freed had noticed it too. The day before, Freed had pulled him aside on their search for grub. But of course Bickslow was all over them begging to be let in on the secret because he 'really really really loved secrets.' Too bad he couldn't keep one to save his life. So after zapping him a few times, he finally sulked back to the inn. Freed said he didn't have a lot to go on but he was suspicious about something and he would tell him more after he could do some digging. He said the more he looked at it, the more he knew he's seen her tattoo somewhere. That was all he would tell him and it was driving him nuts.

' _Too many fucking questions!'_

A faint trace of salt reached his nose and he slowly lifted his head to see her face better. Her eyes were shining and she was taking deep shuddering breaths. He watched as she blinked hard and shook her head slightly before looking back up to the sky once more.

He laid his head back down.

' _What the fuck is wrong with this chick?'_ He silently wondered as he closed his eyes. _'She refuses help, then refuses part of the reward even though she took out their damn leader, and then tries to take off on her own, acting like it's the weirdest thing in the fucking world that they'd travel back to the same damn place together. Always staring off into space or looking like she's one second away from bursting into tears but she never actually cries. And what was up with that bird guy apologizing to her for healing her? It makes no fucking sense.'_

The sound of footsteps snapped him out of his never ending list of things that confused him about the blonde.

Slowly peeling his eyes open, he watched as Lucy walked out of the camp towards the dirt path they took to get there.

Laxus was tempted to follow her for two reasons. The first reason being that it was really stupid to venture off in the woods alone at night. The second reason being that he really wanted to know what she was doing.

' _She's a big girl. She's proved that she can handle herself. She'll be fine.'_

He closed his eyes and listened to her retreating footsteps until they were too far away for even him to hear.

The curiosity was eating at him but he forced himself to stay where he was.

' _Stop being so damn nosey!'_ He threw an arm over his eyes.

She would come back eventually. Compromising with himself, he decided to stay awake until she returned.

After the longest hour of his life, Laxus was starting to grow frustrated. He was tired from walking all day and just wanted to get some sleep before doing it all over again.

As he was getting up to go search for her, the sound of heavy footsteps reached his sensitive ears.

Inhaling deeply, he realized he couldn't pick up any unfamiliar scents. Only Lucy's, but the footsteps he was hearing belonged to someone a lot heavier than the little blonde.

Immediately, his senses were on high-alert.

A low growl reverberated in his chest, making the nocturnal inhabitants of the forest grow silent around him.

The footsteps grew nearer and Laxus took on a battle stance.

Just as he started to channel his magic, a man with spikey orange hair stepped into the camp carrying an unconscious Lucy.

Laxus instantly relaxed. "Loke."

The Spirit shifted Lucy slightly and brought a finger to his lips, silently urging him to be quiet. He turned and walked to the pink bedroll and gently laid her down.

Loke covered her with the extra blanket Ever always packed and walked back over to the Lightning mage.

"What's up with her?" He whispered.

Loke shrugged. "She's fine. She wanted to stargaze and she fell asleep."

Laxus nodded. That made sense. He looked over at the Celestial Spirit mage. She was on her side and curled up to her knees. Her face was peaceful, although every once and awhile her brows would furrow slightly.

"When you get back to the guild, let the master know I wish to speak with him." Loke said, his eyes never leaving his key-holder.

"About what?" Laxus asked gruffly. He didn't like it when people demanded things of him. Especially this. He wasn't a damn messenger boy for his Gramps.

Loke just shook his head. "I can't say."

The leader of the Zodiac looked around the camp before meeting his glare. "I will say this though. Keep your eyes peeled." There was a flash of light and he was gone.

' _Well that wasn't cryptic or anything.'_

Laxus laid back down and threw an arm over his eyes again. Why would Loke need to speak to Gramps? What exactly did he need to keep his eyes peeled for?

There were just way too many questions and he was sick of not having any answers.

' _So much for getting any sleep.'_

}{}{}{

The next day, the group of mages continued on their journey. By early afternoon they had exited the forest and were walking along the cobblestone streets of a small town. The sight of brick houses and the even ground made her happy.

All Lucy knew is that she didn't want to step foot in another forest for a long time.

They walked in silence, other than the occasional argument between Ever and Bickslow. But it wasn't uncomfortable. It was nice.

Laxus walked next to Freed a few feet ahead of her with Bickslow and Evergreen behind her. She felt as though she was in a Thunder God Tribe sandwich. Lucy giggled at the thought.

"What's so funny, Cosplayer?" Bickslow asked as he sidled up next to her.

She waved him off. "Oh no reason. Just thought of something silly."

The Seith mage shrugged and they fell back into silence.

Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin as she felt something land on her shoulder.

"Ack!" She shrieked.

The little wooden totem just giggled at her.

"Well hello there!" She smiled and gave it a little wave. A moment later, one of the others landed on her other shoulder. Then, one rested on top of her head. The remaining two floated around her, giggling and twirling.

Lucy looked over to see the armor clad mage gaping at her.

"Are you doing this?" She asked, giggling when one of the floating totems nuzzled her cheek.

It took him a moment to finally respond. "Uh, no actually. I don't know what they're doing."

She extended her arm and turned her hand so that her palm was facing upwards and one of the totems perched there.

"What are their names?" She asked.

Bickslow pointed to each of his babies as he named them off, starting with the one in her hand. "That's Peppe, Pappa, Pippi, Puppu, and Poppo."

Lucy greeted them all with a smile as they continued to walk through town.

Bickslow cleared his throat. "Wanna hear a dirty joke?" He asked.

Lucy heard a sigh from the Fairy mage behind her.

"Um, sure?"

"Here we go." Evergreen muttered.

"What's the difference between a hooker and a drug dealer?"

Lucy thought about it for a moment before giving up. "I have no idea."

"A hooker can wash her crack and resell it." He turned and grinned at her, his tongue lolling out to expose his guild mark. 'Resell it!' 'Resell it!'

She blinked up at him. Once. Twice.

The Celestial mage stopped walking and dissolved into a fit of giggles, making the totems float off of her and return to their master.

"That…is so….disgusting!" She choked out when she was able.

Bickslow cackled. "But it's true, right?" 'True! True!'

After a moment she righted herself and smoothed out her clothes.

"I got one!" Lucy skipped in front of him and turned around to face him, walking backwards with her hands clasped behind her back.

"Shoot!"

"What do you call a lesbian dinosaur?" She asked with a grin.

He scratched his chin in thought and then looked down at her. "I actually don't know this one."

"A lick-a-lotta-puss!"

Bickslow sputtered, and Lucy thought she heard a low chuckle from one of the mages behind her. She turned so she was walking the right way again and saw that Laxus's shoulders were still, and she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"I don't understand." Freed said.

Bickslow groaned. "It's not funny if you have to explain the joke, Freed."

The two continued to bicker back and forth, Freed arguing how he doubted an archaeologist would name a dinosaur such a thing and Bickslow trying to explain that wasn't the point.

She was so busy watching them in amusement that she didn't notice Evergreen was now walking beside her.

"Wow, Lu. I never would've guessed you had that kind of humor." Lucy jumped slightly.

"Jesus Ever don't sneak up on me like that." The Fairy mage just giggled. "And you shouldn't be surprised. Being a part of this guild for so long was bound to rub off on me eventually."

"That's a good point." She said, nodding in agreement.

"So, do you know where we're stopping for tonight?" Lucy asked.

"I believe we're going to walk straight through this town and into the next one. We should get there before sunset and then we will find an inn."

Lucy nodded and smiled at the brunette. "Good. I found a beetle in my bra this morning. Nature and I need some space for a while."

Evergreen shuddered. "I completely agree."

The two continued to chat as they walked, and for a little bit Lucy forgot to remind herself to not get attached to the group of mages around her.

}{}{}{

"Oh, I should probably let you guys know that I'll be venturing off on my own tomorrow night. Just for a little while." Lucy said as she sat back into the cushioned seat of the booth they were in.

They had just arrived into the next town and decided to stop at a little restaurant for dinner.

Laxus's head whipped up to look at the blonde sitting directly in front of him.

"Where are you going?" Evergreen asked, sounding confused.

Lucy smiled at her. "It's no big deal. Tomorrow night there's supposed to be a meteor shower. Over the years I've noticed that if I'm under the open sky during one, I can reach an intense state of meditation."

"What do you mean?" Freed asked, sounding intrigued.

Lucy sighed somewhat wistfully and looked up at the sky from the restaurant window right next to her. "Honestly? It just makes me feel incredibly connected to my Spirits. And the Celestial Spirit World in general. It's such a wonderful feeling."

Laxus couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he watched her gaze up at the purple and pink of the setting sky. The golden hue that seeped through the windows bathed her in light that made her hair look like it was glowing and for a moment he couldn't look away. She turned and noticed him staring and he snapped out of his strange trance, immediately taking interest in the plate of food in front of him.

' _The hell was that?'_ He grumbled internally.

"That sounds fascinating." Freed breathed, his tone was one Laxus recognized as the one he got when he found something he desperately wanted to observe.

"I guess." Lucy chuckled sheepishly. "But anyway, I just need to find myself a place that will give me an unobstructed view of the sky. The shower should start around eleven and last for about an hour. So depending on where I go, I should be back around one or two."

"We're coming." Laxus blurted before he could stop himself.

"Huh?"

He looked up to find her staring at him with wide eyes, her head cocked to the side questioningly.

"You expect us to let you walk around an unfamiliar place all alone in the middle of the night?" He asked her incredulously.

She huffed and looked away. "I can take care of myself just fine, Laxus."

He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know. But we're still coming with." He nodded his head towards the green haired man sitting next to him. "'Sides, I'm pretty sure the nerd here would have the time of his life getting to see it."

Lucy turned to look at Freed's eager face and her eyes softened. "Is that true, Freed?"

The Rune mage cleared his throat before giving her a curt nod. "Very much so."

She smiled at him. "I'm not sure it will be all that interesting. I'm actually not sure what happens at all. I tend to completely zone out while it happens, so I can't promise you anything exciting."

Before he could respond, a low growl erupted from the Dragon Slayer, effectively cutting him off.

"You mean to tell me, that you've been going out on your own at night and becoming completely oblivious to your surroundings while you do this? Are you fucking stupid, Blondie?" Laxus seethed. He had no idea why, but this made him furious.

Lucy wasn't intimidated in the least, however. Her cheeks flushed red and her eyes narrowed. "Excuse me? What part of 'I can take care of myself' do you not understand? I've been doing this for over a year now and I'm just fine."

Laxus didn't get it. Could she not see how dangerous that was? It would be dangerous for anyone to be out like that. He just couldn't understand why she would be so reckless.

"That's not the point. I told you before, I know you can take care of yourself. But only a fucking idiot would be that reckless. You might as well tape a target sign to your back next time, just to make absolutely sure that people know you're vulnerable." He was vaguely aware that his voice was rising more and more as he spoke, and that most of the other people in the restaurant were now watching their table. Some were afraid, and some were annoyed. Either way, Laxus ignored them.

Lucy stood from the booth, causing Evergreen to jump and scramble out so that the angry blonde could get out. The Fairy mage, along with the rest of the Thunder God Tribe, were too shocked at the girl's darkening aura to really comprehend what was going on.

"So I'm stupid, huh? Fine." She threw some jewel down on the table to pay for her meal before addressing the stunned mages. "Thank you all for taking care of me as I recovered. I'll see you back at the guild."

Laxus stared at her as she turned and stalked out of the restaurant. The farther away she got, the more his anger dissipated and slowly started turning into regret.

There was a sting of pain on his shoulder and he growled in annoyance at Evergreen who was pointing her fan at him. She was practically shaking, her anger rolling off of her in waves.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Things were going so great. She was finally starting to relax around us, and you just had to open up your damn mouth and ruin it!" She smacked him again. "I agree that it isn't smart for her to be going out on her own, but there are better ways to address it than insulting her!"

Laxus looked to Bickslow and Freed. Freed was shaking his head with a frown and Bickslow was scowling at him from the chair he had pulled up to the end of the booth.

"Yeah well, it's not like I can take the words back now." He sighed, starting to feel a little guilty.

"No, you can't. But you can get your big dragon ass up and follow her to apologize."

Laxus scoffed at her. "No fuckin way, Evergreen. You know I don't do apologies."

She glared at him. "I don't care." Her shoulders slumped. "I really like her, Laxus. You know how hard it is for me to make friends. I just scare them away. They're too afraid of me turning them into stone and they act as though I'd do it to anyone who crosses my path. The girls at the guild are better, but it's basically the same. Especially since the whole 'Battle of Fairy Tail' thing. Lucy doesn't, though. She looks at me like it never happened. She treats me just like a regular girl."

Laxus ran a hand over his face. He knew how badly Evergreen wanted girlfriends. But just like Bickslow, people were afraid of the power her eyes held so they stayed away. He knew how badly it hurt her. She acted bitchy and cold around other people so they at least had a reason to steer clear of her.

Seeing the tears gathering in her eyes, he felt his resolve break. "Fine." He stood up, gesturing for Freed to move so he could leave. "Meet me back at the inn."

Evergreen just sniffed and nodded, leaning into Bickslow who had moved beside her to throw an arm around her shoulders.

Laxus followed the scent of strawberries and cream through the town with a scowl on his face. He hated how easily Evergreen could get him to do things. The girl was like a sister to him. A bossy annoying sister. It would take a lot for him to admit it, but he loved her. He loved all of them. The Raijinshu was his family. They were the siblings he never had and he would do anything to make them happy.

Lucy's scent led him to a small playground that sat next to a brick school building.

' _Oi, she moves fast.'_

The sun was down now, the only source of light around him was the moon.

He walked quietly around the building and spotted her.

Her back was to him as she sat on a swing, her toes barely touching the ground. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back, flowing slightly in the light summer breeze, and her hands were gripping the chains tightly.

Laxus stopped and watched her as she pushed her foot against the ground, extending her legs and then bending her knees to make the swing start to move.

She swung higher and higher until suddenly, she leaned herself back and stopped pumping her legs. She let her head drop back so he could see her face and just hung there, her hair brushing the grass as the swing carried her back and forth with her eyes closed.

He couldn't do anything but stand there and stare at her face. His mind registered the fact that this position gave him a wonderful view down the front of her shirt, and that he could see some of the white lace of her bra. But he couldn't stop looking at her face. She looked…almost tranquil. The sight sent a pang of some strange emotion through his chest.

The momentum of the swing dwindled down and she sighed and continued to hang there.

Her eyes opened and she blinked at him, then they widened dramatically.

"Eeeeeeep!"

With a shriek, her hands suddenly let go of the chains and she toppled off of the swing. Her head hit the ground first and the angle she was in made the rest of her body flop over so that she was now sprawled out on her stomach, once again facing away from him. "Oomph."

He stood stock still as the scene replayed in his head, trying to figure out what had just happened.

It was only when she slowly picked herself up into a sitting position and started rubbing her head and scowling at him that it hit him.

His booming laughter echoed off the school building behind him and he clutched his sides while he shook.

"That.." He croaked, gasping for breath. "..was….the…best thing…I have ever….s-seen!"

She glared at him and stood up, brushing the grass from her clothes. "Shut up!"

This only made him laugh harder and he sank to his knees. "Y-your…f-f-face!"

Lucy stomped over to him and crossed her arms under her chest. "What the hell is wrong with you? You can't just go around hiding in the shadows and scaring people! What are you, a vampire?!" She smacked his arm.

The next ten minutes were spent with Laxus trying to calm himself down while Lucy stood there glowering at him. Every once and awhile he'd finally think it was over, but then he'd take a deep calming breath and start laughing all over again.

"Whew, that was great." He said, finally standing back up. "Really didn't think you'd freak out like that." He chuckled, and Lucy smacked his chest.

"Don't you dare go into hysterics again!" She yelled.

Laxus just grinned down at her. "No promises. That was priceless."

He watched in amusement as Lucy stomped her foot like a child and stormed away.

The blonde plopped down heavily on the bench of a picnic table that was sitting in the center of the playground. "What are you even doing here, Laxus?"

His mood sobered as he recalled the reason he had followed her here in the first place and his scowl returned. He walked over and sat down on the other side of the table.

"You left." Was all he said. Laxus hated apologies. They were stupid and sappy, and he was stubborn. But this was for Evergreen, his honorary little sister, so he had to try. Even though he would rather be doing anything else. Even the stacks of paperwork that his Gramps always made him do.

Lucy glared at him. "And?"

Laxus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look. I'm, ah, bad with this?" He ground out.

"Bad with what?" She asked softly, and he dropped his hand and looked at her in surprise.

It seemed as though all the anger she held just a minute before never existed. Her wide eyes were softer, and she was leaning towards him over the table, concern etched on her features.

Somehow, having her look at him like that made it a little easier. "Sorry."

Laxus sat there as she studied his face for something. After a moment she relaxed, having found whatever she was looking for and waved him off.

"I'm sorry, too." She rested her cheek into her hand and gave him a small smile. "I know it's stupid to go out on my own and all that. I've never really thought of asking someone to go with me." She closed her eyes and sighed wearily. "I just got used to it."

He raised a brow. "Used to what?"

"Not having anyone to ask." She said quietly.

" _Everyone leaves."_

His eyes widened as understanding crashed into him.

"Blondie.." He started, but hesitated. He wasn't sure how or even what he was going to ask.

She opened her eyes. "Hm?"

"Where did you go?" He finally asked.

"When?" She tilted her head to the side.

He watched her for a moment. If he thought her hair was glowing in the light from the setting sun, then he was unsure of what it was doing now. He didn't have the words. It shined brilliantly under the moonlight, glimmering and practically sparkling when it moved in the light summer breeze. Her pale skin seemed to illuminate from within, and he swore he saw her dark eyes twinkle every now and then, just like the stars.

She seemed at home- in her element under the stars. And then he realized that she was. She was a Stellar mage, after all.

Laxus cleared his throat and looked away from her to free him from the third trance she had put him under that day. "After the guild disbanded. Where did you go? Did you join another guild like we did?"

When she remained silent, he turned to look back at her and sucked in a sharp breath.

The blonde seemed to have shrunk back into herself. Her head was bowed and her eyes were hidden behind her bangs. Her shoulders were hunched over slightly as she fiddled with her hands on the table.

"Shit. You don't have to-"

"No, it's fine." She straightened and looked him in the eye. "After…after Tartaros.." She cleared her throat daintily. "And the guild disbanding, I was pretty messed up. Gaj and Levy took me in. We stayed together for a while, going on jobs. Did you know that Lily can cook?"

He folded his arms over his chest. "Lily?"

"Gaj's Exceed. The gray one that can grow all huge?"

He nodded. "Right."

Lucy sighed. "Well anyway, we formed our own little team. But then Levy got this awesome offer from the Council." She laughed softly as she recalled the memory. "I had to practically shove her out the door. She didn't want to leave me. But I convinced her, finally. And wherever she goes, Gaj goes. Same with Lily."

"Why didn't you go with?" He asked.

She looked away with a frown. "I couldn't just leave. Not when-" She shook her head.

He didn't want to push it, but he couldn't help himself. There were too many questions that needed answers.

"When what?"

"Not when there was a chance everyone could come back." Lucy took a deep shuddering breath, and Laxus started to feel a little guilty. "Not when my best friend just took off after losing Igneel right after he finally found him. Even though it hurt that he would just leave like that, I still felt like I had to wait for him. It didn't feel right to leave. What if he came back not knowing the guild had disbanded? What if he came back to find everyone was gone? I couldn't do that."

Laxus just stared at the blonde in front of him. He didn't understand. If someone had abandoned him like that, there was no way in hell he'd sit around and wait for them.

But looking into the sadness in her big chocolate eyes, he couldn't help but feel there was so much more she wasn't telling him.

Suddenly her whole demeanor changed. Her posture straightened. Her eyes clouded over for a moment before she blinked away the saddened look in them, and her face morphed into an emotionless mask. She looked…regal.

It took a surprising amount of restraint to keep his jaw from dropping.

' _What the fuck just happened?'_

When it was clear she wasn't going to say anything else, he took it as his cue to change the subject.

"You can still come with us, ya know." He said gruffly, trying to hide how confused he was by her actions.

She gave a curt nod. "I would like that. Where are the others?"

Laxus shrugged. "Back at the inn probably."

"I see."

Lucy's head tilted slightly and her eyes became unfocused for a moment.

"You ok, Blondie?" He asked. It looked as though she had heard something he didn't and it unnerved him slightly.

Her eyes focused on him and she gave him a small smile, confusing him further.

"Oh! Yeah. Someone just wants to see me."

He raised a brow. "Huh?"

There was a small flash of light and Laxus hissed as it nearly blinded his sensitive eyes that were used to the darkness.

"Pun puuunnn!"

His eyes snapped open at the new voice and he nearly gaped at what he saw.

Shivering on the table between the blondes was a tiny white creature that reminded the Dragon Slayer of a snowman.

"Hey Plue!" The Celestial mage's mood took another drastic turn as she beamed at the creature.

Laxus felt like he was starting to get whiplash.

"What the hell is that?" He asked, bewildered.

If possible, the Spirit's legs started to quiver even more.

Lucy leveled a glare at him.

" _Definitely going to end up with fucking whiplash."_

"First of all, his name is Plue and he's one of my Spirits. Canis Minor, Nikora. He is not a 'what' he is a 'who'. Second, he is a dog."

"There's no way that's a dog. He looks like a snowman." He said.

Lucy simply ignored him and enveloped the 'dog' into a hug, squeezing him into her chest.

' _Lucky bastard.'_

Laxus watched in amazement as she set the spirit back down and started talking to it. He had no idea what he was saying, but she seemed to. All he heard was a series of 'pun puns'.

"You can understand him?" He asked her when there was a pause in their conversation.

"Yep! It's part of our bond." Lucy smiled widely up at him and he couldn't help smiling softly as well.

He cleared his throat and stood from the table. "We should probably get back before Evergreen wears a path in the carpet from all her impatient pacing."

She giggled and stood as well, picking up her spirit to carry it against her chest. "She does that a lot, doesn't she?"

Laxus chuckled. "You have no idea how much."

As they walked around the school building and crossed the street, he thought of something.

"I need you to promise me something, Blondie." He said seriously.

She looked up at him, brow raised. "I'd need to know what I'd be promising before I agree to anything. Celestial Spirit mages take promises very seriously."

"Really?" He asked.

"Mhm. The contracts we make with our Spirits are basically one big promise. If we broke promises, how would they trust us? That's where the majority of our power lies; trust."

"Huh. Nice to know." He mused. "Anyway. Listen, Ever…she…"

Laxus sighed. He wished he was better at this stuff. "You need to decide now if you're going to be her friend, and if you do decide you will be I need you to promise that you will take it seriously."

Lucy surprised him by beaming up at him. "You really care about her, huh?"

"Tch." He looked away from her and straight ahead as they walked to the inn.

A few moments later she spoke. "Alright. I promise, Laxus."

"Good. 'Cause I didn't really feel like roastin ya."


	5. Chocolate Ice Cream

**Sorry it took so long for this to get posted! You know how life is. Getting in the way and everything. Psh. Jerk.**

 **Anyway I don't really have a posting schedule set for anything and I'm debating on whether or not I should. It will either motivate me to crank out chapters faster, or it will completely stress me out and by the time I get it posted, I will be bald and traumatized.**

 **Without further ado, I give you chapter five. I hope you like it :)**

As predicted, Evergreen was pacing in front of their room's door and the second Lucy walked in she was practically tackled to the ground.

"Oh thank Mavis! I really hoped you would come back!" She cried, tightening her hold.

Lucy slowly wrapped her arms around the trembling brunette, pushing back the fear of getting to close.

' _Be her friend.'_ She reminded herself, forcing her lips into a small smile. Despite her current aversion to trusting new people, she felt herself drawn to the Fairy mage. Evergreen had shown her nothing but kindness and compassion since she woke up after finding them in the woods, and Lucy couldn't stop herself from liking the older woman even if she tried. And maybe it was selfish, but part of her did want to try. She didn't want to like her. Any of them really. Lucy didn't want to get attached to the mages that were currently smiling at her fondly in the slightly cramped hotel room. But the other part of her, the old part of her that loved everyone and anyone desperately wanted their companionship. Just companionship in general, because besides Levy, Gajeel, Lily, and sometimes Cana (and of course her Spirits) she really didn't have anyone. Not like she used to, and it was lonely.

Pushing those thoughts aside, she grinned at the men that surrounded her.

"Of course I did. I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself around these idiots, could I?" She teased.

Despite grinning, Bickslow clutched at his chest and gasped dramatically. "You wound me, Cheerleader!" 'Cheerleader! Cheerleader!'

His totems twirled around her.

Lucy giggled as she was dragged over to one of the beds where she and Ever laid chatting for hours, ignoring Bickslow's pleas to shut their mouths so he could sleep, until they both succumbed to unconsciousness as well.

The feeling of being squeezed tightly and something pointy digging into her cheek roused the Celestial mage from her slumber the next morning.

"Huh?" She mumbled sleepily as she slowly opened her eyes to be greeted by a forehead.

Looking down had Lucy stifling a giggle.

While they were asleep, the Fairy mage had unconsciously curled herself around the blonde, using her as a teddy bear.

The brunette's arms were wrapped tightly around her waist, their legs were tangled together, and her cheek was pressed tightly to the blonde's chin causing her glasses to dig into her cheek.

Muffled snickering alerted her to the fact that she had an audience.

"Morning, sunshine." A very amused voice greeted her.

Internally grimacing, Lucy slowly turned her head towards where the Dragon Slayer's voice came from.

Laxus, Freed, and Bickslow were towering over the end of her bed, clearly enjoying her situation.

Laxus was grinning down at her, arms crossed. Freed had a small smile and an amused glint in his eyes. Bickslow had his hands over his mouth, trying to muffle his laughter.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Does anyone want to untangle me?"

"Why would we do such a thing?" Freed asked, surprising the blonde.

' _So he_ does _have a sense of humor'_ she mused.

"Yeah, Cosplayer. Why would we do that when you two look _absolutely_ _adorable_?" Bickslow crooned from behind his hands.

Lucy shot them an icy glare before turning to her last hope, milking it for all she was worth. It wasn't that she was upset that she was being held hostage by her new friend. Her bladder however, was.

So Lucy lowered her head slightly, peeking up at Laxus from under her lashes with pleading eyes, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Laxus eyes widened marginally, not expecting her sudden change in demeanor.

She could've sworn his cheeks flushed slightly, but it disappeared just as fast as it had appeared, so Lucy disregarded the notion completely. Writing it off as her mind still waking up and making her see things, because Laxus Dreyar did not blush. Even she knew that. Lucy stuck her bottom lip out into a pout, blinking up at him.

Laxus snorted and walked to the bathroom. "Nice try, Blondie."

Lucy huffed and poked Evergreen's forehead.

The brunette tightened her grip slightly and mumbled something incoherently in her sleep.

Lucy poked her a little bit harder. "Ever, wake up. Or at least let go of me so I can get up."

"Mmph. Go 'way."

"I'm trying but you won't let meeee." She whined.

Bickslow's muffled laughter turned into full blown cackles, and Lucy threw him another glare.

Her bladder clenched painfully and Lucy grew desperate.

She flicked her forehead and grimaced when it was a little harder than she meant to.

Evergreen's eyes snapped open. "What the hell?" She snapped, moving to sit up as she rubbed the reddening mark.

The brunette flushed crimson as she realized their position.

Lucy wasted no time. She shot out of bed, trying to run as fast as she could while clenching her thighs together.

She threw open the bathroom door, shoved down her sleep shorts and sat down to relieve herself, a sigh escaping her lips.

As she finished and reached for the toilet paper, Lucy realized several things.

The first thing being the steam that clouded the small room, billowing around her and making her skin feel slightly sticky with the humidity.

The second thing, was the sound of the shower running right next to her.

Slowly turning her head towards the sound as the puzzle pieces started coming together, she was met with wide stormy blue eyes.

Laxus Dreyar, the powerful Lightning Dragon Slayer of Fairy Tail, was staring down at her from behind the white shower curtain in shock. His mouth was open slightly, and his blonde eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.

Water dripped from his slick hair, down his cheeks, and on to the tile floor.

The puzzle clicked into place and she screeched, her hands moving to cover her lady bits. "Don't fucking look!"

This seemed to snap him out of it as he jumped back behind the curtain.

"I should be the one saying that!" He shouted, his voice booming off the walls.

What happened next would be brought up for a very, _very_ long time by a certain Seith mage who claimed it was the funniest thing he had ever seen in his entire existence.

And he did see it, because in her haste, not only had Lucy unknowingly interrupted the hulking blonde's shower, she had also forgotten to shut the door, giving Bickslow, Ever, and Freed a front row view.

The large man in the shower next to her lost his footing with a yelp of surprise. His hands grabbed the shower curtain as he fell, pulling the whole thing down with him.

Somehow he had twisted, causing the curtain to wrap around most of his body.

His face slid down the tile shower wall and the porcelain tub until there was nothing left for it to slide down, only for the metal curtain rod to crash on to him with a harsh _smack._

The group of mages stood there silently for a moment, the only sounds being Laxus's groans of pain and the water pelting his curtain covered backside.

Bickslow cracked first, dropping to the floor as he howled in laughter.

Lucy cleaned herself up and pulled her shorts back up as quickly as she could before flushing.

There was a shout from the downed man. "That's fucking hot!"

Embarrassment forgotten, Lucy stood and reached for the dial to turn off the water.

Only to be rammed into by a frantic Freed who had snapped out of his stupor and was trying to do the same thing. The pair lost their balance and toppled back on to the prone Dragon Slayer, who grunted in pain on impact. Lucy landed on top of the Rune mage with a squawk, her back to his chest and her hands automatically flew up to shield her face from the sudden onslaught of water.

A thud alerted the blonde to the fact that Bickslow had somehow crawled into the bathroom only to collapse again at the sight of the wet pile of mages, laughing so hard that no sound was coming out and tears streamed down his red face.

"Turn it off!" Freed shouted in her ear as he squirmed beneath her.

Lucy tried desperately to reach the dial, her fingertips barely grazing the metal.

"I'm trying! I can't reach!" She cried, water filling her mouth as she spoke making her gurgle.

Evergreen staggered into the bathroom, one arm wrapped around her middle as she laughed hysterically.

Dropping to her knees in front of them, she reached out and turned off the water before crawling backwards to collapse on top of the Seith mage.

Lucy sighed in relief.

"Get…off.." A pained voice moaned from somewhere beneath her.

She gasped before scrambling out of the tub, both mages below her grunting from her sudden movement. "Laxus! Are you ok?"

The blonde grabbed ahold of Freed's arm and pulled as hard as she could, hefting him halfway out of the tub.

After the Rune mage was out of the way she dropped to her knees and grabbed ahold of his large bicep.

"Let's get you out of here." She said, trying to sound reassuring. She was soaked. Her hair was plastered to her face, and her thin pajamas clung to her skin. But she pushed aside her discomfort in favor of helping out her fellow blonde.

Lucy tried. She really did. But the dead weight of the massive Slayer was no match for the small blonde.

"A little help?" She asked over her shoulder.

Freed stepped beside her and grabbed the same arm. After a few minutes of fruitless effort, Lucy huffed and looked to the other mages for assistance.

They laid in a heap on the floor, faces red, tears streaming down their cheeks, still laughing just as hard.

Lucy stood and looked to Freed who was still trying to lift his friend out of the tub.

"I'll be right back." She said as she sprinted out of the bathroom, leaping over the hysterical mages.

She snatched up her keys from the bedside table and silently summoned one of her Spirits.

"Helloooo Miss Lucy. How can I assist your smooooochable body?" Taurus stood in front of her, his ears almost grazing the ceiling of their hotel room.

Rolling her eyes at her Spirit's antics, she pointed to the bathroom. "I just need the Dragon Slayer in the bathtub moved to one of the beds. He fell so be gentle, ok?"

"You got it, Miss Luuuucy." The giant bull walked into the bathroom and came back out a moment later helping Laxus walk, more like stumble, to the closest bed. Freed followed the two, fussing over his friend.

Seeing that he was being taken care of for the moment, Lucy made her way back into the bathroom to wash her hands.

Evergreen and Bickslow were now sitting up and leaning on each other, chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath.

"That…was the f-funniest thing…I have ever seen…in my entire life." Bickslow choked out.

Evergreen just nodded frantically in agreement, unable to make a sound other than gasping for air.

Lucy rolled her eyes and dried her hands and felt Taurus return to the Spirit world with a silent goodbye. She grabbed a stack of towels and walked back to the other soaked mages.

Laxus was sitting up, clutching the dripping shower curtain tightly in one hand, while pinching the bridge of his nose with the other. The side of his face was already starting to turn a deep purple, and guilt shot through her.

"Are you ok?" She asked softly, handing Freed towels for himself and Laxus.

She started patting herself dry as Laxus raised his head to look at her with slightly dazed eyes. His face flushed for a moment and he quickly looked away.

"That was stupid.." He groaned as he swayed slightly.

Lucy frowned. "I'm so sorry."

Laxus blinked rapidly as if he was clearing his vision, which only made her frown deepen.

The guilt was still soaring through her and she had a feeling she would be apologizing to the now soggy Slayer staring dazedly at the ceiling above them.

}{}{}{

It was during breakfast that Laxus started getting fed up with the near constant guilty looks and apologizing. Lucy just kept on apologizing over and over again, even though he said it was fine. She offered to call out her healing Spirit, but he declined. Being Lucy, she summoned the damn bird guy anyway.

And holy shit did that feel good, not that he would admit it. It was determined that he had a mild concussion, and even though the platinum blonde man only placed his hands on Laxus's head, he felt the warmth spread through his entire body. All of his aches and pains faded away. The only thing that remained was a miniscule amount of tenderness on the side of his face.

He just wished that the little blonde would stop apologizing. Honestly, with his enhanced senses he should have been prepared. He should have heard her running into the bathroom, but he didn't.

He was otherwise….engaged.

He felt like a damn pubescent teenager. It had been _years_ since Laxus had gotten so turned on by a person without having any kind of physical contact that he had to go take care of it right away.

But it was that damn look she gave him.

Her hair was tousled from sleep, framing her heart-shaped face. Her chocolate eyes peeking up at him from her thick dark lashes. Her full pink lip tucked in between her teeth. The thin material of her top doing nothing to hide that fact that she wasn't wearing a bra.

It had taken his mind to places he really shouldn't have imagined the blonde in.

So there he was, rubbing one out and picturing that goddamn face, when all of a sudden she's there on the other side of the curtain…with her pants around her ankles.

Then she had screamed like a fucking banshee and he fell.

All he could do was pull the curtain and hope that it would somehow hide the evidence of his arousal.

What he _really_ wasn't expecting though, was being at the bottom of a wet Freed sandwich.

Either way, as he shoved the last piece of bacon in his mouth, he still couldn't look Lucy in the eye as she sat across from him while they ate breakfast. He wasn't sure why he was feeling so ashamed. Laxus was a man who had needs, and he had no problem if people knew it. He'd been with his fair share of women, and he'd pictured women (even from the guild) before. But he'd never had an issue facing them afterwards, not like this.

Maybe it was because she was so…innocent. Sure she wore clothes that left little to the imagination, but he could tell that she hadn't the faintest clue of the impact she had on the male population. She was completely oblivious to the fact that 95% of the men in the room would ogle her as she walked past. If she did notice it, she was the best actress he had ever laid eyes on. Just give her an Oscar now.

Adding that to the fact that she was going through a tough time, and one of the kindest people he had ever met, he couldn't help but feel like he had done something wrong by picturing her that way. Then almost being caught in the act..

"Laxus! Are you feeling dizzy again?"

The Dragon Slayer turned to Freed, who was reaching up to feel his forehead.

He growled, and the Rune mage's hand instantly lowered. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking that we should hurry up and get moving."

They group collectively agreed and brought their empty plates to the designated bin. Before Laxus could however, a certain blonde scooped up all four of his plates and dashed to the bin.

Laxus sighed, realizing that it was going to be a long day if she kept that shit up.

Hours later, the group found themselves walking through town in the direction of their last stop before taking the train back to Magnolia. The tall blonde internally groaned at the thought of riding the train. While he didn't get as sick as the other Slayers, it still made him feel like shit.

This time, Laxus was walking behind the group with Bickslow. Freed, Ever, and Lucy walking together in front of them.

Laxus rolled his eyes as Ever subtly slowed her pace to walk beside him, leaving Freed and Lucy to walk together.

He knew the brunette's plan. She wanted each of them to put effort into making conversation with her. She was so determined to give the small blonde a group of friends that she had threatened all of their manhoods if they didn't comply.

Even though he couldn't see his face, Laxus could tell that the Rune mage was uncomfortable. He really was a shy person when it came to things like this. The man could confidently jabber on and on about runes, books, strategies, you name it. Strike up casual conversation with someone he barely knew? Not so much.

Thankfully, the Celestial mage picked up on it rather quickly as he stuttered out a pathetic 'how are you doing today'.

She simply turned to face him and smiled warmly at the green-haired man. "I'm doing well, you?"

"I'm f-fine as well. Uh.." He scratched the back of his head, and Laxus grimaced. He felt sorry for his oldest friend.

Lucy giggled. "So, why don't you tell me about that book you were reading at breakfast this morning? It looked interesting."

The corners of Laxus's mouth tugged up into a smile as Freed visibly perked up and gushed about something that was too boring for the Dragon Slayer to pay much attention to. Lucy was different, though. She listened intently, and he could tell that Freed was pleasantly surprised every time she asked a question, or discussed something he mentioned.

Freed was rarely able to openly discuss these things. He had gotten quite close to the Solid Script mage over the years after a, rather boring, debate in the guild's archives that lasted for six hours. After that, it wasn't an uncommon thing to find him sitting with her at the guild discussing something or other as the Iron Dragon Slayer glowered at him from his dark corner.

It was surprising though, that he had never noticed the blonde's intelligence sooner, being that she was best friends with the tiny bluenette. Then again, now that he thought of it, she was hardly around anymore.

"So, Miss Lucy. I'm quite fascinated by your magic." Freed says.

"Please, just call me Lucy. What do you want to know?" She asks, casually brushing her fingers across the glimmering metal at her hip.

"Well, I've been curious about something Mica said about you and the Spirit King. What's the story behind that?" He asks.

The blonde cleared her throat and shrugged. "It's kind of a long story.." She trails off.

"We have time." He says reassuringly.

Laxus watched the blonde intently as she delved into the story of how she saved Loke from fading from existence. The more he listened, the more impressed he got. As was Freed apparently, as he had stumbled a few times while he listened with rapt attention. His favorite part was when the Rune mage tripped over his own two feet in shock when Lucy recalled how she never once addressed him as the king, but as 'Stache Face'.

"But why?" He asked in wonder.

She laughed. "Because that guy's mustache is seriously impressive. Maybe you'll see it someday."

Freed spent the next hour walking in a daze, muttering occasionally about meeting such a powerful being.

Laxus chuckled at the Rune mage, but his laughter quickly died when Lucy looked at him over her shoulder and stopped walking. She waited until she was next to him, before walking again. He fought the urge to zap Evergreen as she not so subtly skipped to walk next to Freed, throwing a wide grin over her shoulder.

That woman would be the death of him.

It was quiet for a moment before Laxus felt something tugging the sleeve. He looked down to find two guilty brown eyes looking up at him.

Her mouth opened to speak, but he cut her off. "No. No more apologizing. It's fucking fine, ok?" He snapped, a bit harsher than he had meant to.

Seeing her flinch, he softened his tone. "It was an accident. You already made up for it, anyway."

"Huh?" She looked at him questioningly, fiddling with her long blonde hair that fell in loose waves down her slender back.

Laxus nodded, ignoring the ecstatic look the brunette was giving him. "That bird Spirit-"

"Ankaa." She corrected.

"Tch. _Ankaa_ healed it up, but I also feel great now. Better than I have in months, actually." He admitted.

Lucy looked up at him and smiled brightly. "That's great!"

Laxus found himself holding back a chuckle as she started skipping happily next to him. Lucy confused the hell out of him. One minute she was so closed off, refusing help or recognition. The next, she was happy as could be, smiling brightly and laughing with them.

But what confused him the most is how she was making him feel. He understood the newfound respect he had for the little blonde because she had saved their asses. What he didn't understand was why a certain warmth spread through his chest whenever she beamed up at him. Or the pang of _something_ that shot through him when he saw the sadness in her big chocolate orbs. Or why he felt so embarrassed that she had almost caught him taking care of business while thinking of her. All he knew is that he really needed to talk to Evergreen about it, because he was certain she would know what the hell this was.

However, he couldn't really do that with Lucy still around. So he would have to wait until they got back to Magnolia and went their separate ways. Then maybe he'd figure all of this shit out. Until then, he was pushing it to the back of his mind. Well he would try to, anyway.

That night, after they found an inn, Laxus sent Bickslow and Freed to find a place that matched Lucy's specifications. Of course she insisted on helping, but Evergreen kept her back saying something about helping her find a decent place to eat dinner. Laxus rolled his eyes, knowing full and well that the brunette just wanted to spend time with her.

Laxus flopped himself down on his stomach on one of the beds. The room only had three beds. He already knew that Blondie and Ever were bunking together, and if he shocked them enough, Freed and Bicks would 'agree' to bunk together as well.

"So if we have time after dinner, did you want to try that bathhouse down the street?" Ever asked excitedly.

They were sitting on the bed next to him. Lucy was kneeling on the edge, fiddling with her keys on her lap as she smiled at the Fairy mage. Laxus was trying not to openly stare at the creamy skin of her bare thighs from the corner of his eye.

"Sure!" She turned to him as he was still in the process of getting comfortable. "You don't mind, do you Laxus? It's only a few buildings down."

Laxus just buried his face into his pillow and grunted, giving them a shrug.

He turned up the volume on his sound pods, trying to drown out the now incessant chatter of the women next to him as they discussed their dinner options. He really didn't care. Food was food.

As the sound of double-base and electric guitar filled his ears, a small tingle zinged down his spine. He knew what it meant. Something bad was going to happen. His instincts were never wrong when it came to that feeling. He frowned into his pillow. Laxus hated this part. Not knowing where or when shit was going to hit the fan. He just hoped it would wait until they reached the guild.

}{}{}{

Evergreen sighed in bliss as she lowered herself into the steaming water of the bathhouse. Her aching legs rejoiced. She was tired of walking and was thankful that they only needed to walk to the train station in the morning.

"This is exactly what I needed." Lucy moaned next to her.

She had her elbows resting on the ledge with her head tipped back, her eyes closed.

"Definitely." The brunette eyed her new friend carefully.

It was odd, seeing her relaxed. Evergreen didn't even realize how tense the girl was all of the time until now. The thought made her frown slightly.

"What's got you thinking so hard, Ever?"

"Huh?" Evergreen snapped out of her thoughts and saw that Lucy was now sitting a little closer and peering at her with concerned filled brown eyes.

Evergreen sighed. She really wanted to just ask her what was wrong with her. What happened to her to change her the way she did. But she finally had a friend, at least she hoped she did, and she didn't want to screw things up.

"Um. I was actually worried about you." She said quietly.

The blonde titled her head and raised a slender brow. "Me?"

Evergreen nodded slowly, unsure of where to go from there.

"There's nothing to worry about, silly." She winked and splashed her.

The Fairy mage squealed as water filled her nostrils and splashed her back. She decided to wait to bring it up again. Right now, having fun with Lucy sounded so much better.

The sounds of their laughter echoed off of the walls and the few women that were there with them eventually got fed up with the noise and left, scowling at the girls as they passed by.

After a while, the two mages slumped together, still giggling occasionally as they tried to catch their breaths.

"So.." Lucy started, sitting up straighter.

"Hm?" Evergreen smiled at her. She hadn't had this much fun in ages, and she was so thrilled that Lucy was sticking around, even if it was just for another day.

The brunette missed the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So.. how's Elfman?" Lucy said with a sly smile and Evergreen sputtered.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You guys finally together?" She asked.

Evergreen felt her whole face heat up. "M-maybe?" She squeaked.

Lucy squealed, clapping her hands and bouncing excitedly. "I need all of the details!"

The Fairy mage hesitated. But the more she thought about it, the happier she became with the idea of boy talk with the little blonde. Her lips stretched into a wide grin.

"You know how he's ' _a real man'_?" She whispered, even though her boyfriend wasn't even in the same town as her.

Lucy giggled and nodded, scooting closer.

"Well, I was the one who had to man up and ask his sorry ass out on a date."

Lucy gasped, wide eyed. "No way!"

Evergreen nodded and rolled her eyes. "The poor baby was a stuttering mess. I had to drag him out to dinner by his ear."

The blonde snorted, visualizing the scene.

Sighing wistfully and suddenly missing her man, she looked to her friend. "Yeah, but he relaxed after a little while and we actually had a pretty great time. But we had a little…visitor."

"Let me guess. Was it a certain baby obsessed barmaid?"

"Yep! Caught her when she squealed and fainted a few tables over when he kissed my hand." She laughed.

Evergreen opened her mouth to continue when pain shot through her head. Black spots burst across her vision and the floor shifted beneath her. At least that's what it felt like.

She vaguely heard Lucy shout her name and felt small hands push her out of the water and on to the cool tile floor of the bathhouse.

The edges of her vision were blurry and it was difficult to open her eyes after every blink, but she refused to pass out. Not when she didn't know what was going on. Not when she knew Lucy was basically on her own.

Evergreen forced herself to focus on the blonde who was still standing in the bath, trying to ignore the loud ringing in her ears.

Her lips were moving and her eyes were hard, angry. Her fists were balled up by her bare hips… _her_ _keys_!

Evergreen placed her shaky hands on the tile floor and struggled to push herself up. But between the slick tile and the way the room started to spin she laid her head back down and tried to think.

She knew she had to come up with something. Lucy didn't have her keys. She didn't have a way to protect herself and Evergreen knew it was all her fault for letting her guard down.

So she did the only thing she could think of. The bathhouse was only two building's down, and with her pseudo-brother's enhanced hearing, he had to hear her if she was loud enough, right? She scrunched her eyes shut and screamed his name as loud as she possibly could. Little white dots danced behind her eyelids and it took a few seconds for her to be able to peel her eyes back open.

As her eyes focused on the blonde, her breath caught in her throat.

The strange black tattoo that normally contrasted significantly against her pale skin was glowing a radiant white.

A strangled squeak tore from her lips as she blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision.

' _This can't be right..'_

The blonde's lips moved again, but Evergreen still couldn't hear anything over the ringing in her ears.

The black dots started dancing across her vision, spreading until black was mostly what she saw.

The last thing Evergreen saw before unconsciousness took her was Lucy's arms raising, the water of the bath following and swirling around her.

}{}{}{

"So this is different." Bickslow said as he handed Laxus another beer from the case he grabbed on his way back from finding Blondie's meditation spot.

Laxus grunted in agreement. "You could say that."

He looked around the room. It just felt…weird. They'd never gone on a job and had Evergreen go off and do something. She always stuck around the group, even though she complained about them nonstop. So to have the hotel room missing said brunette was a completely new experience for all of them.

He looked to the Seith mage who was messing around with his totems on the other side of the small table they were sitting at. Freed was sitting cross-legged on one of the beds, nose deep in a book like always.

"So what do we do now?" He asked, taking a swig of his beer and kicking his feet up on the table.

Bickslow just shrugged. "I don't know man. It's just too…quiet in here." He grinned. "Got used to the bitching, ya know?"

Laxus snorted. "I know. But I'm glad Blondie is hanging around her. She needs this."

Bickslow nodded and then turned to face him with a sly grin. "Speaking of Cheerleader…don't think I didn't hear you guys while we were walking earlier."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "We were just talking."

"Uh huh. Aaaand being all nice and smiley." He waggled his brows.

Laxus growled in warning, and the bluenette raised his hands in surrender.

"Alright, dude. Chill. I was just going to say that it's ok if you like her. She's a nice girl. Actually it's perfect."

Despite his growing annoyance, Laxus was more than a little curious. "How do you figure?"

Bickslow scratched the back of his head nervously, knowing he was treading dangerous waters. "Well, uh. For one, she's like really sassy. Which means she'll have no issues dealing with your uh...moods. And the whole guild loves her. So when you take over one day, it would be nice to have someone everyone loves at your side. Plus you know how much your Gramps loves her. She's like his favorite, so that would probably make him really happy. Then there's that rack.."

To his own surprise, Laxus found himself actually thinking about it. It would be nice. Not just having someone everyone loves by his side, but just having someone by his side in general. He never really thought about it. He was perfectly content on his own, picking up the random chick from local bars when he needed it. But the more he thought about it right then, the more he realized how lonely the life he was leading was.

He had to admit that it would be nice to come home every night to someone who loved him and would know exactly what he needed.

But could that person be Blondie? One part of him was saying oh hell no. He barely knew her. While she was nice and hot as hell and everything, she obviously had her own shit going on. He wasn't a fan of baggage, even though he knew he had some of his own. With his asshole of a sperm donor and growing up feeling like he was living in his Gramp's ginormous shadow, he knew he had some issues of his own.

Would it really be smart to through all that baggage together, though? Probably not.

The other part of him was saying, why not? Lucy was kind, smart, sassy, and surprisingly strong for being so small. He knew that she was a very independent and stubborn person. But he kind of liked that. He liked knowing that if by some ridiculously small chance they ended up together, she wouldn't cling to him and be one of those whiney needy girlfriends. He liked knowing she could kick ass on her own. But he also knew, that if he would ever be with her, or anyone, he would want to protect them. Protect her. Just like he always wanted to protect his team.

Laxus looked up to find Bickslow staring at him his eyebrows raised, a knowing smirk on his lips. Even Freed had stopped reading whatever it was that he was reading that day to look at him curiously.

"What?" He snapped, downing the rest of his beer and setting it down hard on the small wooden table.

"You were totally considering it, weren't you?" The Seith mage practically shouted with glee.

"Fuck no." He growled.

"Uh, no. Don't try lying to me. If you weren't you would've shocked me already."

Laxus let a little bit of his lightning dance across his fingertips. "I still could you know."

Bickslow gulped and stood from his chair to walk to the case of beer to grab another. "'Kay, sorry. I'll drop it."

"LAAXUUSSS!"

Laxus jumped to his feet instantly on high alert.

"We gotta go. Evergreen is screaming. Something is up." He shouted over his shoulder as he bolted out the door.

The three mages ran through the hotel and down the street, ignoring the odd looks they were getting.

They ignored the alarmed looks and cries of the women stripping and getting ready to enjoy their baths in the locker room.

They skidded to a stop on the slick tile. With a quick glance around the room to assess the situation, Laxus sent a large amount of lightning at the only three mages that were still standing around the bath. They twitched and fell to the ground in smoking crumpled heaps.

Laxus counted four other unconscious, and soaked, men strewn in various places around the room.

Lucy was holding on to the side of the bath, panting. She had a gash over one of her eyebrows that was freely bleeding down the side of her face, but she otherwise looked unharmed….and naked. She was completely naked. His eyes raked over her body. Her perfect breasts, cinched waist. The mouthwatering swell of her hips. If he looked a little lower...

As Freed and Bickslow rushed to Evergreen who laid unconscious on the side of the bath, Laxus tore his gaze from the downright edible blonde and turned on his heel, quickly walking to the shelving unit that took up most of the wall by the door to grab several towels.

He quickly walked to them, handing a towel to Bickslow for Ever, and made his way to a furiously blushing Freed, who had just pulled Lucy out of the water.

She muttered a quick thanks as she wrapped it around herself.

"Is she ok?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah she should be fine. Just looks like she got hit on the head pretty hard." Bicks said as he picked the now covered brunette up gently.

"What the fuck happened, Blondie?" Laxus asked, looking around and noticing just how soaked everything was. Water dripped from the ceiling and down the walls. The men that were already down for the count before they had arrived were drenched from head to toe, covered in cuts and bruises.

"I..uh…well…" She stammered, looking down at the floor.

That's when Laxus noticed something. "Hey, where are your keys?" He asked, looking around for them. Maybe they had fallen somewhere.

This seemed to make the soaked blonde tense up even more. "I d-don't…um. I-I have to go." Without another word she took off, leaving Laxus and the rest of his team to stand there feeling confused and more than a little concerned.

Laxus sighed and looked around to the fallen men once more.

"Ok then. Bickslow, take Ever back to the room and get her patched up." He said.

The Seith mage nodded and quickly walked out of the room and said a quick thank you to the elderly woman in the light purple robe who held the door open for him.

"Freed, I need you to tell whoever is in the locker rooms that the bathhouse is closed for now and call the Rune Knights. We really need to report this."

"I already did, dear." The little old woman said as she slowly made her way to where they were standing.

"Huh?" Laxus stared at her in complete confusion. She was a tiny thing, maybe a few inches taller than his Gramps. Her grey hair was pulled into a bun, and she was wearing a pair of house slippers that were the same purple as her robe, which was thankfully tied shut.

"I saw some of what happened to those girls. I was just getting ready to come in and have myself a nice soak like I do the same time every week. And all of a sudden this group of mean looking men walk through the locker room. If they noticed me, they ignored me. Thank heavens for that. So I stayed put 'cause I really didn't know what to do, but then I heard some screaming and the men were shouting and I could hear the water splashing all over the place. So I took a peak and let me say, that little blonde has some _spunk_ to her." She chuckled to herself. "Pretty sure some of the things that came out of her mouth would make a sailor blush. She's a powerful young thing though. I've never seen a water mage before. And I've been around for a long time."

Laxus blinked at her.

"I beg your pardon, but I think you're mistaken." Freed said slowly. "Lucy isn't a water mage. Are you sure it wasn't one of her Spirit's?"

The woman shook her head. "Nope it was her. Didn't see no Spirits. Her chest was glowing and she was sending water all over the place. I figured she had it under control so I walked as fast as I could to the emergency lacrima in the lobby and called the Knights. They should be here shortly."

Laxus didn't know what to think. He knew that Blondie wasn't a water mage. But she didn't have her keys…and the place was drenched.

"Freed, stay here and wait for the Knights to show up. I'm going to go find Blondie." Laxus said as he quickly made his way to the door. A quick glance at the clock told him it was almost ten at night and he wasn't sure if she'd go to the hill Bickslow and Freed had told her about. He would just have to follow her scent.

"Yes, Laxus." The green-haired man said, before being dragged to one of the plastic chairs in the corner by the small woman as she began to chatter his ear off.

Laxus would've felt bad for his friend, but he was a little more concerned with finding the blonde that that completely taken over his thoughts for the past few days.

He followed her scent through the dark town, wondering if tracking her at night in an unfamiliar town was going to become a reoccurring thing for them. It took him a half hour, but he finally found the end of her scent trail. Once again, he wondered how she could move so goddamn fast.

What he didn't expect however, was it to be at a run-down pub on the other side of town.

It was a small brick building with shutters that were mostly off of their hinges, and a neon sign that had most of the letters burnt out. What should have been 'The Dragonfly' looked like 'Haofly'.

For such a small run-down place, there were a surprising amount of people inside.

He felt a slow-growing amount of concern as he took in how many huge men flocked the tables. There was a man sitting at the end of the bar holding a rag to his steadily bleeding nose as what Laxus assumed were his friends poked fun at him for something. He wasn't really paying attention. He grew even more concerned as he walked closer to the bar and still hadn't spotted her. But he knew she was here. Her scent led here and didn't venture off anywhere else.

So he took a seat at one of the ripped vinyl stools at the bar and waited for the hulking redhead of a bartender to get to him.

"What can I get ya?" He said, his voice was deep and gravely like he smoked far too many packs a day.

"I was hoping you could tell me if you've seen a blonde woman come in here." He said.

The reactions of the men at the bar confused the large Dragon Slayer.

The group of men that surrounded the bleeding man grew silent and stood slowly as if preparing for a fight, and Laxus turned to face them with a raised brow.

"And what business would you have with her if I have seen her?" The bartender said, leveling him with a glare that Laxus was sure would've made anyone else quake in fear.

But Laxus just sighed. He honestly didn't know what to make of these people's reactions. They were complete strangers.

"She's a guild mate, and friend. She ran off after she kicked the shit out of a group of guys and I want to make sure she's ok."

He really didn't know why he was telling the still glaring man all of this, but something told him they knew where she was.

The hulking man studied him for a moment with calculating ice-blue eyes before demanding to see his guild mark.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer rolled his eyes and lifted his purple dress shirt to expose the mark.

The man just grunted and turned, disappearing behind a door behind the bar.

Loud barking laugher pulled his attention to the group of men at the end of the bar.

"That's your girl, ay?" The bleeding man asked with a wide grin, and Laxus didn't even bother denying it. He didn't really care what they thought. He had more important things to worry about.

"You got yourself a handful! Feisty 'lil thing." One of his buddies practically cheered, raising his mug into the air.

The bleeding man nodded. "Went to introduce myself because _damn_ does she have a body. But I barely finished saying hello when she kicked me clear across the bar!"

His friends laughed and Laxus couldn't help but chuckle along with them. That definitely sounded like Lucy. "Yeah she did! She set this old pervert straight. But the second he apologized she was all smiles."

The men sobered up considerably as the bleeding man continued. "The poor thing was a crying mess though and her face was all bloody. But I guess now it makes sense since you said she just kicked some ass. She knocked back a few shots before Sal finally convinced her to follow him to the back room so he could patch her up."

And then Laxus realized why they all reacted the way they did. In the short time she had been there, Lucy had wrapped all of these rough, ragged men around her little finger. It really didn't surprise him though. She did the same thing with the guild all those years ago. Everyone was wrapped around her little finger and nobody cared, because she never took advantage of it. Hell, he wasn't even sure she realized it.

"Laxus!" A familiar voice shouted cheerfully.

He turned and watched as Lucy skipped around the bar, a huge bald man with an eye-patch watching her every move from where he now stood behind the bar. There was a crisp white bandage over the gash above her eyebrow.

"Oi! What did I say about runnin around too much, little miss!" He barked.

Lucy just giggled and shot him a bright smile. "I'll be fine, Sal! Trust me I've had so much worse than this little paper cut."

This seemed to make the men in the room frown, but Lucy either didn't notice or ignored it as she skipped to plop herself down on the stool next to the Slayer.

"Whatchya doing here, Sparky?" She chirped, taking a sip out of the glass of amber liquid Sal had just placed in front of her.

Laxus just looked at her incredulously. "Seriously, Blondie? You just hightailed it outta there in a towel and with a big cut on your face. Of course I came looking for you. And you know once Ever wakes up she's going to worry herself sick about you."

Her bright smile faded as she took a bigger sip of her drink, whiskey if his nose was correct.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, tucking her still damp hair behind her ear.

Laxus sighed and asked Sal for a beer. He had a feeling he'd be there for a while.

"Lucy.." She sucked in a sharp breath and he knew why. He rarely used her actual name. "I need you to tell me why you know how to use water magic."

He nodded in thanks as he received his mug and placed a wad of Jewel on the counter before turning on his stool to face the now trembling blonde.

Ignoring the now glaring men at the bar, he gently nudged her with his knee.

"Hey.." He said softly. "You can talk to me, ya know."

She sighed and turned to face him with teary eyes and nodded.

"It's kind of a long story." She said meekly.

"We've got time."

She nodded again and chugged the rest of her drink before calling for another.

Laxus tried to ignore the fact that the men at the end of the bar, and the two bartenders were trying to very discreetly listen to their conversation and instead tried to focus on the Celestial mage in front of him who was clearly struggling to figure out how to start.

She took a sip of her refilled drink and stared down at the bar. "I got it during Tartaros."

Laxus eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he ignored the men who were now whispering about how bad they had heard Tartaros was.

"How?" He asked. It didn't make any sense.

Lucy inhaled deeply and wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand. Laxus fought the sudden urge to comfort her in some way, forcing his hands to remain on his mug of beer.

"W-while everyone was trapped in that spell in the Cube, I somehow wasn't. And they knew, so everyone was coming after me." She rushed out, like she just wanted to get it over with. "Well I had to face Jackal, one of the Demon Gates, but I was running out of magical energy. I had summoned A-Aquarius but I couldn't hold her gate open for much longer. There wasn't anything I could do. There wasn't anyone to c-come help. S-so sh-she said to-" Her voiced cracked and a sob wrenched from her. His heart clenched painfully in his chest at the sound.

Before Laxus could question what he was doing, his hand shot out and squeezed her knee reassuringly.

He once again nodded in thanks to a very concerned Sal as he placed a box of tissues in front of the sobbing blonde and walked away.

She grabbed a large wad of them and dried her face.

After she had calmed down a little, she continued. "She said I needed to summon the Celestial Spirit King."

Laxus eyes widened as he recalled how Freed went on and on about how powerful of a being he was.

"Holy shit, Blondie. You can do that?" He asked.

"I hope I never have to again." She whispered, taking another sip of her whiskey.

"Why not? That sounds pretty badass-"

"Because in order to do that, I had to break her key, Laxus." She snapped, cutting him off. Her voice softened to just above a whisper as she continued. "I had to choose between the guild, and one of the only people I had growing up. My _mother_ passed her on to me when she died. A-and I chose you guys. Now she's stuck there in the Spirit World and she can never be summoned ever again. I w-will never see her again."

Laxus let that sink in for a moment as a newfound sense of respect and gratitude washed over him. Because of her, his family was still alive. He was still alive. What she had done was incredible and selfless and he was more than a little shocked that no one else knew about it. She wasn't looking for any form of recognition. But that still didn't answer his question.

"How did that give you water magic?" He asked quietly.

She nodded and asked Sal for a pitcher of water. As soon as it was placed in front of her, she continued. "A Zodiac can bestow a mage with abilities that mirror theirs, but they can only do it once in their immortal lives." She explained.

Laxus, along with all of the men he knew were eavesdropping, watched in wonder as she dipped her delicate fingers into the water. As she pulled them out, the water followed in thin tendrils that weaved around her hand and up her arm. "Before she left, she gave me this power so I had a fighting chance against Jackal as the King took care of the Cube and fought against Mard Geer."

She moved her hand so her palm was facing the ceiling and the water moved to form a swirling orb.

"I can't hold it for very long, but as long as I have water I can use it. Just like I needed water to summon her. Back in the woods, there was that stream. I was actually surprised at the amount of water I was able to pull from it to send Mica flying."

That was when Laxus noticed the shimmering light coming from the once black tattoo on her chest.

"Is that what that tattoo is?" He asked.

She nodded, directing the water back into the pitcher. "She gave me her mark. No one noticed it at first though, and I don't blame them. Everyone was so shaken up from everything. So when they finally did notice after we were reunited and assumed it was a tattoo, I didn't argue with them."

Laxus nodded. The blonde sitting next to him was starting to make more sense to him, and so many of the questions he had were finally piecing together. But he couldn't be too happy about it. Lucy had gone through some serious shit, and she had kept it to herself for all this time.

He was pretty damn sure she was only telling him any of this because she had been caught and she had a decent amount of booze in her system.

The Slayer arched a brow as a large bowl of chocolate ice cream was placed in front of her.

"It's from Mark and the guys. They say have as much as you like on them." Sal said quietly.

Lucy turned and gave the concerned men a watery smile. "Thanks guys. It's just what I needed."

Laxus was pretty sure he felt the men beside him melt and he rolled his eyes as they somewhat awkwardly told her she was more than welcome.

Lucy took a giant spoonful of the icy treat and popped it into her mouth with a hum of approval.

Looking away quickly, he caught the redhead's knowing smirk and growled quietly.

Seemingly unfazed, he stood in front of him and leaned on the bar on his elbows.

"So, why did little miss call you 'Sparky'?" He asked.

They spent the next few hours at the bar and Laxus was actually having a good time. When he reminded her of the meteor shower, she said it would've been stupid to go anyway. She was well on her way to becoming trashed and she wouldn't be able to focus no matter how hard she tried.

So they drank, and Laxus found himself loosening up. More times than he could count, the laugher that was usually only reserved for his team burst from him before he could force it back. Lucy was surprisingly witty and just downright silly.

At one point, Laxus could only clutch at his aching sides as he howled while Lucy grabbed Sal and tried to get him to do the Macarena. After an exaggerated and teary pout, the bald man grudgingly relented and started stiffly going through the motions. The redhead, who he learned was named Kevin, made sure to take lots of pictures.

Laxus decided to call it a night at two in the morning when the little blonde rested her head on the bar after slurring a barely coherent goodnight.

He simply scooped her up and gave the men who were whining about them leaving a quick wave before stumbling out the door and in to the night.

"Y'know where we're goin?" She slurred against his chest.

"Mhm." Was the only reply he could manage as he focused on not face-planting the cobblestone street. Laxus really didn't mean to drink as much as he did, but what was done was done.

He slowly but surely made his way back to their hotel. Looking down as he walked through the lobby, he realized that Lucy had fallen asleep at some point on their journey back.

He couldn't get back to the room quick enough. The booze was starting to hit him hard and his eyes were drooping closed as he fumbled with the room key.

Laxus didn't bother taking off his boots or his coat. He didn't even bother peeling back the blankets.

As soon as the back of his knees hit the mattress, he flopped back none too gently on to his back.

The moment his head hit the pillow he was out like a light, unknowingly circling his arms tighter around the passed out blonde he was still holding to his chest.

 **So that happened. Lucy made friends with burly biker looking dudes. Because why not? Now Laxus knows. Which is good, because he probably would've gone crazy with all of those questions.**

 **I have the next chapter started and will post it when it's done!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	6. Spark

**Ok, I'm sorry guys. Lots of shit happened. My cat died and I'm still trying to cope with that. So I've been rather unmotivated.**

 **Her name was Charli and she was a total dork, but I loved her and I got her when I was 16.**

 **One of the biggest reasons why it's taken so long to post is because I have pretty bad ADHD and I spaced on making an appointment for getting a refill on my meds. So, by the time my doctor could see me (which was yesterday) I had run out. I've basically been off of my meds for like two weeks and it's been total chaos.**

 **Not only that but I've also caught this nasty cold and I can't hear out of my right ear which is PISSING ME OFF. Seriously, I will never take my hearing for granted ever again.**

 **Sorry for ranting and raving! Just wanted to explain why I dropped off the face of the earth for a while there.**

 **Here is a short chapter, just to get things going again. I've got to get used to being on my meds again. I promise I'll make the next chapter super long to make up for everything!**

 **Thanks for being patient.**

}{}{}{

Lucy suppressed a groan as she slowly gained consciousness. Her head was pounding and her stomach was churning. She was also warm and very comfortable, which was odd.

She hadn't expected the cheap motel bed to be so cozy.

She sighed somewhat contentedly and nuzzled her face into the surprisingly hard pillow beneath her head. Despite her head and stomach feeling like total crap, she didn't want to leave this haven just yet.

Hushed whispering filtered through her sleep muddled brain and she bit back the urge to yell at the voices to shut the hell up. She wanted sleep dammit.

That was when she noticed the weight across her waist, and the steady hot breath puffing against the top of her head.

Memories of the previous night trickled through her hazy mind.

She went to the bar. Made some new friends. Laxus showed up and she told him everything. Which honestly surprised her. Maybe it was the drinks she had already knocked back before he arrived, but it had been surprisingly easy to tell him what had been plaguing her for the last two years. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her want to just let it out. The kindness in his blue eyes urged something inside of her to lessen her hold on the burden that rested so heavily on her heart. So she did. And he didn't pity her, or immediately try to fix her. He simply took what she told him and accepted it, and didn't press her for any more information. Lucy really appreciated that.

Then they started drinking pretty heavily and the last thing she remembered was Laxus carrying her back to the hotel.

Mentally assessing herself, Lucy inwardly sighed in relief when she found she was fully clothed. Actually, her boots were still on and the wire of her bra was digging painfully into one of her breasts.

Lucy opened her eyes only a crack when the arm around her tightened slightly.

For the second morning in a row, someone was curled around her. They were on their sides, facing each other. Laxus held her tightly to him, his arm wrapped around her waist, her head using his other one as a pillow. Their legs were tangled together and her hands were loosely clutching his silky purple dress shirt. Her head was tucked under his chin, his nose buried in her hair.

Her face flushed crimson as she remembered they weren't alone in the room, and she quickly closed her eyes after deciding feigning sleep was better than facing the teasing she knew she'd get.

"Should we wake them? The train leaves soon." She heard Freed whisper.

"Don't you dare. This is adorable and we have plenty of time." Evergreen snapped quietly.

"This is the best." Bickslow sniggered. "I didn't realize our fearless leader was such a cuddle bug."

Ever giggled. "Come on guys, let's just go get some breakfast and leave them be. Laxus is normally the first one up, so for him to still be passed out like this he must be tired. Leave them a note, Freed?"

"Of course."

Lucy listened as the mages left the room. As soon as she heard the door click shut, her eyes snapped back open.

She wasn't sure what she should do. Should she wake him so he could let her go? Or should she just suck it up and let him sleep?

What would she say when he finally did wake?

Then it really hit her.

He knew.

He _knew_.

Would he treat her differently now? Would he tell everyone?

But he was the one that asked about it. He knew she could use water magic before she could even tell him. How did he know? Did the others know?

Panic settled in her gut and slowly seeped into her chest.

Would the guild find out now? Would they look at her differently?

Pity her?

Mavis, she hated pity. After her mother passed away that's all she saw for months in the maid's and butler's eyes. Pity for the little girl who just lost her momma and was left with her emotionally absent father. She didn't need pity. She needed comfort. Understanding.

 _Love._

To be held when she had nightmares. And boy did she have nightmares. That was the drawback of having an author's imagination. It ran wild, even in her dreams. And they were awful. Vivid, morbid….absolutely terrifying.

Lucy wasn't sure if she would be able to handle seeing that same pity in her nakama's eyes.

But….what if they thought she was weak? What if….what if they thought that if she had been stronger, she wouldn't have had to summon the King? What if they decided she wasn't to be trusted. That would break her heart. What if they thought she would be willing to sacrifice any one of them if that meant salvation?

Would they leave her too?

Tears stung her eyes and she clenched them shut, unknowingly burrowing deeper into Laxus's chest and not noticing when his nose nuzzled into her hair.

' _No, Lucy.'_ She reprimanded herself. _'You know they wouldn't do that to you. You're being ridiculous.'_

She couldn't help it, though. All of her worst fears decided that it was the perfect moment to run rampant and cause chaos.

All she could do was cling to the man beside her and bite the inside of her cheek to try to hold back her sobs.

Lucy just hoped that she could get ahold of herself before the Dragon Slayer woke up. He would probably think she was a total nutcase for having a random emotional breakdown in his arms.

}{}{}{

Laxus was warm. He was warm and comfortable and the scent of strawberries and cream was all he could smell. And he liked it… a lot.

Despite a mild headache, he felt well rested. It was the best night of sleep he had in….forever maybe? He wasn't sure, but he didn't care. There was no tossing and turning, no dreams, and from how quiet it was aside from the beating heart he could hear next to him he hadn't needed his sound pods to fall asleep.

A small voice inside of him was telling him he needed to wake up. That someone was invading his space, getting too close. But he couldn't find it in himself to move. This was too…perfect; this feeling. He was somewhat aware that he was holding on to something soft and warm. Something was tickling his nose but he couldn't make himself move away. That was where the most comforting scent he had ever smelled was.

That voice was whispering that he knew where it came from. It knew what he was holding on to so tightly, but it wouldn't tell him what.

So he ignored it and nuzzled closer to the sweet scent…..only to frown when it changed into something different. Something…saltier?

Strawberries, cream, and salt.

He knew he had smelled this before and he knew he really didn't like it.

A different voice was whispering to his hazy mind now. Telling him that he needed to wake up and stop it. Something wasn't right.

Slowly, the Slayer roused from his mostly asleep state.

The heartbeat he heard before was now beating rapidly

A strangled sound at his chest broke through the last bit of hazy bliss and his eyes snapped open.

The first thing he saw was a mop of messy golden hair. He felt soft skin beneath his fingers from where his arm was wrapped tightly around her small waist and the arm she was using as a pillow was completely numb. But Laxus could care less.

"Blondie?" He asked, mostly to himself as memories from the night before filtered back to him.

He wanted to be pissed. Shove her off the bed and ask her what she thought she was doing. But then he noticed that he was completely curled around her. Even his legs were tangled around hers in a way that kept her there. And he couldn't remember putting her in bed with Ever. All he remembered was trying not to pass out before he got to the room and collapsing on the bed when he finally got there.

She made another choking sound and he immediately began to worry.

Was he crushing her? Could she not breathe?

He quickly untangled himself and backed away to get a good look at her.

When she made no move to get away from him, instead curling around herself and covering her face with her hands, Laxus really became confused.

"Oi, Blondie. What's going on?" He whispered. He didn't know why he was whispering, he just felt like he had to. Like she could spook if he was too loud.

The blonde woman beside him slowly lifted her head and looked at him.

His heart stuttered painfully in his chest.

She just looked so….sad. And alone.

But she wasn't alone. He was literally right there next to her. But something else resonated inside of him. Laxus recognized that expression. He had seen it in the mirror too many times for him to count.

It just didn't sit well with him. This usually vivacious and bubbly woman should not be reduced to this.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I'll go."

Lucy shakily pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Laxus just blinked at her in confusion. He watched as a tear slid down her pale cheek and dripped on to the bed. As the droplet absorbed into the fabric, he finally snapped himself out of it and reached out to grab ahold of her small wrist.

"Wait a minute." He said gruffly, wincing when she flinched at his tone.

"W-what, Laxus?" she asked quietly, looking anywhere but at him.

It took him a minute to sort the words out before he finally spoke, surprising even himself at how soft his tone became.

"Talk to me?" He pleaded. "You can talk to me, Blondie. I'll listen."

He didn't understand why he felt so compelled to comfort the blonde woman, but seeing her like this struck a chord with him. He wanted her to smile. He wanted to make her smile. He could figure out why he was feeling like this later.

Lucy finally turned to look at him in surprise, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"N-no. It's fine. I-I'm fine." She whispered, weakly attempting to free her wrist from his grasp.

"Bullshit." Laxus grunted.

She looked at him with watery eyes, like she was searching for some kind of answer in his expression. He just stayed silent, internally freaking out at the situation. He was horrible when it came to women's tears. He never knew what to do or what to say, but he wanted to try to do the right thing.

After a moments, it seemed like she found whatever she was looking for.

The moment she found her answer, her eyes clenched shut and she collapsed back on to the mattress and released a sob.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Laxus reached for her and pulled her into his lap. He held her head to his chest with one hand, and rubbed soothing circles on her back with the other.

"Hey, it's ok. You're ok." He whispered into her hair.

The Lightning Dragon Slayer just held the distraught woman while she sobbed in his arms. He didn't care that she was soaking his shirt. He didn't care that his team could walk back in any moment. All he really cared about was comforting Blondie. He had never seen her this vulnerable. She was sad last night. That much was obvious, but this was different.

He knew his team would be shocked if they were to find the two blondes in this position. Laxus knew he wasn't the most sociable or the friendliest person out there. Around people, other than his team, he was a grumpy antisocial dick. He just wasn't a people person and it took _a lot_ for him to let anyone in.

He had his fair share of issues, and his team understood because they had theirs as well. They all had their own problems and no one tried to change anyone. That was why Laxus loved them the way he did. They supported each other. Respected each other's boundaries. Never pushed each other to do anything that they were uncomfortable with doing.

For him, that was talking to people more than he absolutely had to. He held everyone at arm's length, no matter how hard they tried to get past his walls. He didn't trust anyone but his team and his Gramps. Sure, he trusted his guild. But to an extent. Laxus knew it was because of the hell his father put him through. The man had corrupted him as a child. He taught him that anyone who wasn't powerful was weak and if they were weak, they were like gum stuck to the sidewalk. Worthless. It took him a long time to learn that his father's teachings were wrong. Sheer power didn't define strength. People were strong in different ways, and everyone mattered. Everyone was important in their own way. The pain that man put him through was etched into him even to this day. The betrayal. The emotional manipulation. The neglect. If it wasn't for his Gramps, Laxus knew he would have followed a completely different path. A very dark one.

For Freed, it was being personal with people. He had his formalities, and he hid behind them along with his books. The only people who ever got to see the real him were Mira and himself as long as no one else was around.

For Bickslow, it was his mask and his damn perverse sense of humor. Behind all that he was actually a shy, kind man who would do anything for the people he loved. They got to see that side of him when it was just them.

Evergreen hid behind false haughtiness and attitude. But behind all that she was like the mother of their little group. She always made sure everyone was ok and she cared so deeply for all of them. She cared deeply for everyone, really. She was fiercely protective of those she held dear.

The Raijinshu was a group of mages that didn't quite fit in anywhere else. They were misfits. Outsiders. And they took solace with each other behind their masks. They were a family.

After a while, Lucy's sobs quieted down to just sniffles and the occasional hiccup.

Still, he held her close.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He whispered.

Laxus felt her give a weak shrug and he huffed, getting a little impatient.

"C'mon, Blondie. You can trust me. Promise."

"It's no one else's problem but my own. I wouldn't want to bother you with it." She whispered into his chest.

"It wouldn't be a bother. We're nakama. We have each other's back. I have your back, Blondie." He said gently.

She was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "You know you're blonde too, right?"

He couldn't help but grin at her sass. _This_ was the Lucy he wanted to see.

Laxus chuckled, still rubbing soothing circles on her back with his thumb.

The Celestial mage in his lap sighed and surprised him by nuzzling her face further into his broad chest. If she hadn't been crying, if they hadn't passed out in a drunken heap the night before, what they were doing right now would've felt a lot like they were a couple. The thought made his heart skip a beat.

The sound of her quiet voice brought him out of his inner musings.

"I'm scared." She whispered into his shirt.

The Dragon Slayer frowned slightly. "Of what?"

"Now that you know what happened…what I did. It won't be long until other people find out. Then the whole guild will know."

"Why would you be afraid of something like that?" He asked, ignoring the fact that she basically just called him a blabbermouth.

"Well…remember how I told you about how important trust and keeping promises are for Celestial mages and their Spirits?" He nodded. "To summon the King, I had to sacrifice the Spirit I had the biggest bond with- the one I was closest to. My mother was the one who passed her to me before she died, along with Cancer. Capricorn, too but that's a story for another time. Even though she acted like she hated me all of the time and washed me away with most of her attacks, she was the most important person to me. My most important person. After my mother died and my father…did what he did, she didn't hesitate to try to play the role of a parent. Looking back to my childhood, I can see everything she did for me. She was always there. Cancer was too, but Aquarius… if she wasn't around after Mama died I'm not sure where I'd be right now."

Laxus involuntarily tightened his hold around the now trembling woman in his arms as she took a deep shuddering breath and waited for her to continue.

"But w-what if the guild finds out I sacrificed her? My most important person. I-if they knew that I had done that, what if they thought I would do the same to any one of them? What if they all lose their trust in me? I'd have to leave c-cause they'd want me gone and then I'd be a-alone." She sobbed. "I d-don't want to b-be alone again."

As Lucy broke down again, Laxus was mulling over what the girl had said. He could see how she could come to that conclusion, but it was a ridiculous assumption. He knew for a fact that if the guild found out what she had done, they would do the exact opposite. They would be grateful to her. They would feel awful knowing that she had done something that caused her so much pain to save all their asses.

"Lucy, I think you're wrong." He said, unwrapping one of his arms and lifting her chin to meet her wide puffy eyes.

She opened her mouth to argue but he wouldn't let her.

"No, I _know_ you're wrong. They would thank you. Doing what you did saved a lot of lives. If anything that would make them trust you even more. Would you like me to tell my team? I'll make sure they know not to tell anyone without your permission."

Lucy hesitated for a moment, thinking it over before eventually nodding. "I would like that."

Laxus watched as a small spark of hope brightened those chocolate pools and he couldn't stop the wide smile that stretched his lips even if he tried.

As she smiled brightly back at him, Laxus's enhanced hearing picked up the unmistakable sound of Bickslow getting smacked by Evergreen's fan.

"Looks like they're back, Blondie." He eyed the dried tear tracks on her cheeks. "If you want to avoid Ever's hovering you better go wash those tears off before she sees them."

Chuckling when her eyes grew wide before vaulting off of his lap and into the bathroom, Laxus rose to change his soaked shirt.

Just as he was buttoning up a fresh black dress-shirt, the door opened very slowly.

His brow rose and he watched in amusement as his three closest friends literally tiptoed into the room. Well, Ever and Bickslow tiptoed. Freed walked as he normally would, but quieter.

He snorted.

"What the fuck are you guys doing?" He asked, stifling laughter as all three of them jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Oh h-hey man. Didn't want to wake you if you two were still cuddle-" Laxus glared at the Seith mage. "Uh sleeping. I was going to say sleeping."

He heard the shower turn on in the bathroom and took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Nah, she's taking a shower. But you guys should sit down. There are some things I need to discuss with you about Blondie. What I'm about to tell you will be kept between us and her. That's it. No exceptions, got it?"

Noticing the sudden seriousness in his demeanor, they nodded before quickly finding a spot to sit so they could listen, for once not arguing in the slightest.

Laxus sighed. He knew he was terrible with words, so he could only hope he didn't butcher this too badly. Maybe he shouldn't have offered to tell his team?

No, he had to do this. There was hope in her eyes again, and he wanted them to stay that way.

Looking at his team, who were sitting around him patiently waiting for him to start talking, he ran a hand over his face and groaned.

This was going to suck.

' _Suck it up buttercup, you brought this on yourself.'_


	7. Weeping Willow

Lucy closed the book she was reading and set it on her lap.

She couldn't help but notice how different this train ride was compared to being with her team. It was odd not having to use her lap as a pillow to an almost spewing Fire Dragon Slayer. Or to look to the seat across from her and not see Erza threatening a stark naked Gray to put some clothes on before she beat him senseless.

Instead, she shared her seat with Evergreen and Freed. Ever was flipping through a copy of Sorcerer Weekly occasionally turning to the Rune mage, insisting that he must fill out the questionnaires because knowing which cover mage he should date was 'important dammit'.

Bickslow was off somewhere probably chasing girls around the train and Laxus was in the seat directly in front of her. His legs and arms were crossed, his head was tipped back and his sound pods were on. If she didn't know any better, she would assume he was asleep. But every once and awhile, one side of his mouth would quirk up at something Ever or Freed said.

Lucy closed her eyes and rested her head against the window. For the life of her she couldn't figure out why the blonde man had treated her so…compassionately. The normally gruff Slayer was kind and understanding and unbelievably supportive. Her fears were still there and so were her walls. Well most of them. She had felt one of them start to crumble as his fingers traced circles on her back.

A small blush warmed her cheeks as she recalled how his large arms felt around her as she sat on his lap. Part of her wondered what it would feel like to be in that same position while she wasn't blubbering like a baby.

' _No. Bad Lucy. Opening up to him is one thing, but don't do this to yourself. If you fall for him it will only hurt that much more when he leaves. And he will leave, just like everyone else.'_

He would though. As soon as they got back to the guild, they would part ways and it would go back to the way things were before. She'd snag another job before Team Natsu could drag her off on one, they'd….do whatever it was that the Raijinshu did.

But part of her didn't want to do it anymore. She didn't want to plaster on a smile and go off on her own. By hiding her pain in fear of being abandoned and alone, Lucy had made herself… well, alone. She knew she was isolating herself. Maybe it was so no one could see the walls she'd built around her heart. Maybe… maybe it was so it wouldn't be so hard when she was eventually abandoned and left alone.

But would she be left alone?

The Raijinshu had taken it rather well. Ever had tackled her in a bear hug the second she stepped out of the bathroom, but she expected that much. Freed had taken her hand, once she'd untangled herself from the Fairy mage, and bowed. He thanked her for her sacrifice and told her he was sorry for the loss she had suffered.

What she had not expected, was to be swept up into another crushing bear hug by Bickslow. He didn't say too much, and that was fine, but what he did say warmed her heart. Mostly because he actually used her name for once.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I get it. If I ever lost one of my babies like that…yeah. But we got your back, 'kay?"

At that point she was a blubbering mess and couldn't form words for the life of her, so she just nodded and hugged him back. And smiled when she felt all of his totems nuzzle into her back like they were hugging her too.

Lucy smiled at the memory, warmth flooding her chest.

She was an idiot. She had told herself time and time again to not get attached to these people. But she couldn't help herself. Not when they were being so kind and welcoming. Not when she could feel the longing in her heart to be accepted by them, to be friends with them.

So now she was; attached to them. But it couldn't last, she knew that. They had their own lives back at the guild and she had her mountain of issues she couldn't dump on them. It wasn't their burden to bare.

Lucy opened her eyes and watched the scenery as it flew by. Just a blur of colors under the gloomy sky. The sun was hidden behind dark angry clouds that threatened rain at any moment.

They had been riding the train all day and would stop at an inn at the train's last stop tonight, only to do the same thing tomorrow before arriving in Magnolia around six in the evening.

Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she turned as Freed stood and made his way down the aisle of the moving train.

"Where's he going?" She asked Evergreen who was flipping through a new magazine. Where were all these magazines coming from, anyway?

"Off to see if there's any free private compartments left. Something about wanting some peace and quiet since we still have hours left of travel."

"Oh. Ok."

Something about her too-casual tone sent little red flags waving in her mind, but she internally swatted them away. What could she possibly plan on a train anyway?

}{}{}{

Several things, apparently.

After Freed had come back and explained that they had two unoccupied private compartments available, they had gotten up, gathered their things, and followed Freed down the aisle.

Freed quickly disappeared behind one and Evergreen was right behind him. But when Lucy made to follow her, she was stopped short and practically shoved into the compartment across from theirs.

With a hastily muttered 'this way we can all spread out comfortably' she turned and shut the door behind her, leaving Laxus standing in the aisle glaring daggers at the closed door.

He stood there for a while, they both did really, but after a few minutes of gaping at the closed door Lucy sighed and shoved her things into one of the overhead storage units before plopping down on the seat below it.

Seeing that he was still standing there, almost indecisive she might add, Lucy couldn't help but giggle quietly.

"I don't bite, Laxus. Come sit down." She said, gesturing to the seat on the other side of the cabin.

The Dragon Slayer just huffed before finally entering the room, shutting the door, tossing his pack into his storage unit, and sitting down.

The silence that stretched out was slightly awkward. They just stared at each other for a moment before Lucy gave in and laid down, stretching herself out on the padded bench-like seat and closing her eyes.

She could still feel his gaze on her as he sat there, and she was about to snap at him for staring, but just as she was about to open her mouth he shifted in his seat and made himself more comfortable.

She cautiously peeked over at him and saw that he had taken up pretty much the same position as before, minus the sound pods.

Closing her eyes once more, she bit back a defeated sigh.

He hadn't spoken much to her since her breakdown this morning and she was afraid he thought she was a big cry baby. Lucy couldn't blame him. She basically had a complete breakdown on the guy after getting blind-drunk at a bar and passing out on top of him.

Still, she didn't want things to be so awkward between them. Laxus had really helped her when she needed it and she was grateful. She just didn't know how to go about thanking him.

So lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice herself drifting off or the heavy warmth that draped across her as she slipped into a restless slumber.

}{}{}{

Laxus couldn't help but stare at the dozing woman in front of him.

He shouldn't have been surprised that Ever would try to pull something like this after finding them sleeping together earlier. He just didn't know she would try something like this so soon. Like the same fucking day.

Really, that girl spent way too much time listening to Mira spouting all of her matchmaking nonsense.

The Dragon Slayer paled at the thought.

Oh shit. Mira.

The second they got back, he just know that Ever would tell the demon everything.

He slid a hand over his face and internally groaned.

All good things must come to an end, he supposed. He had been able to avoid being the target for her schemes for years. Years! But now one drunken, nonsexual, slip up would pour all of that right down the drain.

God dammit.

Hearing the blonde's breathing even out, he relaxed further into his seat and continued to watch her.

Not that he was a creepy 'I watch you while you sleep because you're hot' type of dude.

While she was hot, he'd admit that, he just couldn't help but study her face as she slept.

How had she kept all of that bottled up for this long?

He didn't think it was fair. For someone as kind and vivacious as her to be handed such shit cards.

" _Those who smile the brightest, have felt the most pain."_ His grandfather's words drifted through his mind.

Those words made sense now. At the time, he simply brushed the old man's words off, but now he was looking at a prime example and they couldn't be more truthful.

Except, while her smile could light up an entire room, the brightness of it had dimmed considerably. A person could only take so much shit in their life before it started to get to them.

But that was a testament to the blonde's strength, he figured. While she was hurting now, she still refused to succumb to it completely. The hope he saw shining in her eyes before was proof of that.

Laxus just wished things wouldn't feel so awkward between them now. He didn't know what to do or what to say, and he had no idea what she thought about it all.

Slight movement recaptured his attention to the blonde that had completely taken over his thoughts.

She had turned to her side so that she was now facing him as she slept and was trying to curl in to herself for warmth.

The blonde man looked around the private cabin for any blankets, but came up empty.

Thinking over what he could do, he realized he had two options. He could leave her be and let her be cold. But that didn't sit right with him. Not only that, if Gramps were to see him do something like that he would've been lectured on how to properly treat a lady for hours. His other option was to give up his coat. As precious as it was to the Dragon Slayer, it wasn't like he was really needing of it at the moment anyway.

So, trying to ignore any deeper meaning his actions could imply, the blonde man stood and shrugged off his black fur trimmed coat and covered her with it. He watched as her frowning lips curved upwards while she let out a small content sigh.

After he sat back in his seat, Laxus couldn't help an amused smile of his own. The coat completely dwarfed the woman. It covered her completely with room to spare.

Leaning back, Laxus sighed and closed his eyes as his head started pounding.

This was going to be a long train ride.

}{}{}{

Sometime later, a particularly large jostle of the train jolted Lucy out of her slumber with a start.

As the train chugged on, her furiously beating heart eventually calmed and she relaxed back into her seat.

She had been having a pleasant dream. One of the first good dreams she has had in quite a long time.

The details were getting hazier the longer she was awake, but she could remember walking through a field. All around her were some of the most beautiful wildflowers she had ever seen. Vibrant pinks, blues, and purples. Butterflies of all colors and varieties fluttered by lazily, some of which would occasionally land on her as if to say hello. The sun was bright and the sky was blue, not a single cloud in sight. Overall the setting was peaceful and she sighed in bliss. Eventually, she came upon a Weeping Willow tree. She remembered sitting under its hanging branches, grateful for the shade they provided and feeling somewhat nostalgic. It felt as though she was waiting for someone to arrive, and sure enough a voice called her name in greeting. But before she could turn to see who it was, the train had rudely woken her.

A small smile graced her lips. It was such a wonderful dream.

Knowing she would have a difficult time sleeping later if she continued her nap, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Sighing in satisfaction when her spine popped in several places, she looked around the cabin. Laxus was sprawled across his seat, his arm and one of his legs were practically hanging over the edge. His other leg was bent at the knee, and his other arm was folded behind his head, acting as a pillow.

Lucy suppressed a giggle at the sight. His large frame barely fit and it was amusing to see the normally serious man sprawled out in such a state.

As she made to stand and walk to the train's restrooms, she noticed an unfamiliar weight on her lap and legs.

Laxus's coat?

Fingering the white fur that lined the garment, Lucy wondered how it ended up there.

Had he placed it on her after she had fallen asleep? But why would he do that?

It was an awfully nice gesture, one that she definitely appreciated. She just couldn't figure out what had driven the man to do such a thing for her.

Deciding to ask him about it later, she stood and gathered the coat in her arms. It was only fair to return the same kindness.

Trying to be as quiet as she could, Lucy gently covered the slumbering Dragon Slayer with his coat and tip-toed out of the private cabin.

She shut the door quietly, wincing as it clicked shut, and turned to find the restrooms…

…only to smack into what felt like a wall.

With a yelp of surprise, she stumbled back and braced herself for the impact of the train's floor.

The impact never came, however, as large hands caught her arms and steadied her.

"Shit, Cosplayer. Didn't see ya there. You ok?" The wall, er Bickslow, asked.

Blinking a few times to clear the slight dizziness from almost falling and returning upright so quickly, she smiled at the Seith mage.

"I'm fine. Sorry for bumping into you like that and thanks for catching me. I wasn't paying attention I guess." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

Bickslow just waved it off and grinned. "Nah, that's alright. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about some…things. If you didn't mind."

Confused and a little curious, she nodded at him. "Uh, sure! I just needed to find the restrooms and then we could maybe go find a table in the dining car?"

"Sounds like a plan! I'll meet you there, Cosplayer."

After finally finding a bathroom, Lucy eventually made her way to the dining car. It wasn't exactly difficult to spot Bickslow. The Seith mage was well above average height, not to mention the odd outfit and helmet he always wore, so he was easy to spot.

She weaved around the other passengers and sat in the seat opposite of him in the booth.

"Hey!" She chirped, throwing the older mage a smile. She really was curious as to what the man had to talk to her about.

"Hey yourself." He said, nervously drumming his fingers against the wooden table.

"So what-"

"Um I-"

They both laughed and Lucy waved him to continue.

He gave a small smile and pushed one of the steaming cups of tea he had acquired at some point over to her.

"Thank you." The blonde took a small sip so she wouldn't burn her tongue and noticed something was missing.

"Bickslow, where are your babies?" The little wooden totems were nowhere to be seen and she couldn't recall a time where they weren't near the Seith mage.

The man simply grinned. "They're with Ever and Freed. Probably up to no good."

Lucy laughed, imagining the totems wreaking havoc without Bickslow's supervision. "They really like messing with people, don't they?"

"Mostly just Ever." He cackled, then surprised her by turning serious.

She didn't know what to make of the expression. The man was always grinning or laughing. It was a side she'd never seen of him before.

"Listen, Lucy." He began, surprising her once again by using her actual name. "I uh, Mavis I suck at this." He took a deep breath before continuing on. "I just want you to know, that if you ever need someone to you know, talk to and stuff I'm here. It's just that, my magic is fairly similar to yours. My babies and I have deep bonds, like you do with your Spirits. I know that if one of those bonds were to be severed, I would be devastated."

At this point, Lucy had given up on holding her tears at bay and was now furiously wiping them with her hands as she listened to him talk.

She was crying for several reasons. The first being the fresh wave of sadness and guilt that always tore through her whenever she thought of Aquarius. The other reason being how completely touched she was by his words. She never would've thought that of all people, Bickslow would understand her pain so easily. She was completely taken off guard at the sincerity of his words, and she could feel the steady appreciation for the man in front of her growing the more he spoke.

Bickslow was completely oblivious to the woman's onslaught of emotions. He was too caught up in fumbling for the right words to say and the nervousness he felt trying to say them. So he continued on.

"I can't even begin to imagine how you felt doing what you did. How hard it must have been. Only to be essentially abandoned by the people you thought as family. I am so sorry for being one of those people. I swear, if I would've known- shit Cosplayer! I-I'm sorry, don't cry!"

The Seith mage frantically gathered up a pile of napkins from the dispenser on the table next to him and thrust them at the silently sobbing blonde.

"Shit shit shit. I'm so sorry. I knew I should've just let it go. I should've kept it to myself. I had no right bringing this up to you and-" He was abruptly stunned into silence as the Celestial mage shot up from her seat and launched herself at him, winding her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

If he hadn't been stunned into silence, he would've missed the muffled almost inaudible "Thank you." She whispered into his shirt.

Almost sagging in relief, Bickslow slowly wound his arms around her and ignored the strange looks they were getting from the other passengers.

"You're welcome, Cosplayer. Just remember, if you need anything you can come to me alright? I'll never turn you away." He whispered and smiled when she nodded into his chest.

They stayed that way for a few minutes until Lucy was able to calm herself down enough to realize the position they were in.

Heat flushed to her cheeks and the back of her neck and she pulled back slightly so she wouldn't sound so muffled.

"Uh, sorry Bicks."

The man just chuckled, and she felt the vibrations in his chest. "It's no problem."

Lucy giggled and smirked into his shirt. "Yeah, but we're in an awfully coupley position right now." She said in a sing-song voice. "Might scare away all those _bangable babes_."

Sure enough, the man went rigid as he looked around the room and she had to bite her lip to hold back her mirth.

"Alright, cuddle time is over."

She hummed in mock contemplation. "Nope."

"Huh? C'mon. Get off!"

"Too comfy."

"Shoo!"

"Fat chance."

"C'moooooooon Cosplayer." He whined.

She just laughed.

}{}{}{

After Bickslow finally managed to pry her off, they sat around and joked and talked for almost two hours. It was astonishing how much they had in common. They both liked and disliked a lot of the same things. By the time the two decided it was time to go back to their own seats, it felt like they had been close to each other for years.

When the duo finally made it back to their private compartments, Bickslow enveloped her in a warm hug which she reciprocated without hesitation.

"The train should reach the station in about an hour and a half." He said.

"Ok." She said with a smile as she pulled away. "See you then, Bicks."

He grinned his signature grin and waved before slipping into the compartment he shared with the others. As she was slowly shutting her own door, she couldn't hide her smile when she heard Evergreen start chewing him out and smacking him with her fan for something his totems did in his absence.

Her smile only grew when she saw that Laxus was still passed out, tucked into his coat and smiling softly in his sleep.

Sitting down and tucking her legs under her, she couldn't help but wonder what he could be dreaming about.

A lot had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She had opened up to people she never in a million years thought she would.

This new friendship with them was completely unexpected, and while a part of her was still warning her not to get too attached, she knew it was too late.

The thought both elated and saddened her. She was happy the Raijinshu liked her enough to try to get close to her. She loved feeling like she had gained a sister in Ever. Bickslow…she couldn't help but feel as though he could become a brother figure of sorts. Freed was someone she could have intellectual conversations with. And Laxus….

Looking up at the sleeping mage, Lucy felt something flutter in her chest. He was stubborn, blunt, arrogant (though not as bad as he used to be), bad at interacting with others, and a known playboy.

But…from what she had seen in the last few days he was also kind, fiercely protective and loyal to those he held dear, funny, smart, and compassionate.

Once he relaxed, he was a completely different person.

She shook the thoughts from her head, blushing slightly at the direction they were going.

Yes, she knew it was already too late and she was growing attached to this group of mages. But she refused to subject her heart to any more than that.

She couldn't fall for the sleeping man in front of her, because when he left like she knew he would, it would ruin her.

So with a sad sigh, Lucy stood and dug the book Freed had lent to her out of her pack and sat back down, getting comfortable once again in her seat.

She stole one last glance at the slumbering Dragon Slayer before cracking open the thick book and loosing herself in the pages.

}{}{}{

 _Laxus was in a field._

 _Which confused the shit out of him because he could've sworn he was just on a train._

 _Looking around to try to gain a sense of where the hell he was, he realized he didn't have a clue._

 _The sky was clear and blue, the sun warm, and he had a vague notion that he was supposed to be meeting someone somewhere._

 _So with a resigned sigh, he started walking, swatting the occasional butterfly that would flutter to close to his face._

 _The first thing he noticed was that there were flowers everywhere. The overwhelming floral scent assaulted his nose, making him sneeze repeatedly._

 _It was annoying and completely overpowered any other scent he tried to pick up in the area, which was putting him on edge._

 _It almost felt as though something was leading him somewhere, or more like to someone. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was meeting someone. Someone important._

 _So he ambled along, on high alert, looking for any sign that could tell him where the hell he was going or who he was supposed to see._

 _After a while, he could make out the shape of a large tree standing alone in the vast field. It struck him odd. That was the only tree he had seen this entire time. All around him, the field seemed to stretch on for miles and miles with no ending in sight._

 _Something, instinct maybe, told him he needed to go to it._

 _So he quickened his pace, grumbling about damned trees and annoying flowers._

 _The tree was simply magnificent. Large branches billowing out. Bright green foliage hanging down so low they grazed the ground as they swayed in the slight breeze. He couldn't remember ever seeing anything like it._

 _Just as he was about to plop down and wait for whoever he was supposedly meeting, a familiar scent wafted to his nose over the overwhelming scent of the flowers._

 _The Dragon Slayer whirled around, trying to pinpoint the source and followed it to the base of the tree._

 _There, sitting in the grass was a woman with a familiar head of long blonde hair._

" _Blondie?"_

 _Said mage turned and smiled radiantly as she rose to her feet._

" _Laxus! You made it."_

" _I uh, yeah. What are you doing here? What is this place?" He asked growing more confused by the second._

 _The blonde man couldn't help but stare at her. She was no longer wearing the shorts and tank top she had been wearing on the train. Instead, she was wearing a white sundress. It had thin straps and a modest neckline, but still exposing her Spirit's mark, it cinched in at her waist before flaring out and hanging to just above her knees. She was also barefoot._

 _He watched as she looked around, her long hair spilling over her shoulders, no longer in the ponytail she had been wearing on the train. "I'm not sure, but its pretty isn't it?" She reached out and ran her slender fingers down the bark of the tree._

" _What kind of a tree is this anyway?" He asked taking a few steps closer._

" _A Weeping Willow. We had one in the gardens back home. I used to sit under it and read whenever I needed to escape for a little while. It was one of my favorite places." She looked up into the branches wistfully._

 _Both mages jumped as thunder boomed from above them._

" _What the?" Laxus looked up, perplexed as dark angry clouds rapidly filled the sky. A sudden sense of dread washed over him._

 _He turned to his companion with a frown. "We should get out of here. Something isn't right. This whole thing is just weird."_

 _With a frown of her own, Lucy reached for his outstretched hand. The Dragon Slayer didn't understand why, but his instincts were roaring at him to get her out of there._

" _Ok, where would we-" Her voice was cut off and replaced with a pained cry._

 _Laxus stiffened as the metallic scent of blood reached his nose. His grip on her hand tightened as his eyes roved over her form, growling as crimson started seeping from a wound under her dress near her hip._

" _Lucy!" He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her flush against his chest, searching wildly for any signs of their attacker._

 _But he couldn't pick up any other scents because of those fucking flowers!_

 _Another round of thunder clapped above them, making the blonde in his arms flinch._

" _L-Laxus, what's going on?" She whispered shakily._

" _I don't know." He growled in frustration._

 _The wind picked up violently around them, the foliage hanging from the tree whipping from the strong gusts._

 _It was deafening. Like being stuck in the middle of a tornado, the wind roared._

 _He could barely hear her, but he could feel from the vibrations in her back that she was trying to say something._

 _Pulling away from her slightly, he tried to read her lips to no avail._

" _I can't hear you!" He shouted. "What the fuck is going on?!"_

 _Ears straining, he tried desperately to figure out what she was saying, until suddenly she went ridged in his arms._

 _Her eyes were wide with shock, her mouth open in a silent scream._

" _Blondie?" He looked down confused, feeling hot liquid seep into the front of his shirt._

" _What? Lucy!" His blood turned to ice as she crumpled in his hold._

 _The storm and threat forgotten, Laxus gently lowered them both to the ground._

 _Pulling her into his lap, his eyes shot to the new crimson stain blossoming from her chest in between her breasts and fear griped his spine._

 _His hands fluttered uselessly over her form before one of her hands grasped them tightly._

 _His gaze shot up to her face._

 _She was trying to mouth something to him again. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth and stained her teeth red._

" _No, don't try to talk. Rest, I'll get us out of here." Laxus tried to access his magic to teleport them away, only to panic further when he realized he couldn't feel a drop of magic in his system._

 _A sob escaped him._

 _He couldn't do it. All he wanted was to keep his family safe. To protect them._

 _Now here he was, holding Lucy as she bled out, completely unable to do a damn thing about it._

 _The Dragon Slayer almost jumped when a pale trembling hand cupped his cheek and forced him to look at its owner._

 _The damned woman was smiling at him. She was dying in his arms and she was trying to comfort_ him _._

" _Lucy-" A shaking finger covered his lips._

 _She was trying to mouth something to him again, but he just couldn't make it out._

 _Still, she continued on. Mouthing the same thing over and over, slower every time as the light slowly dimmed from her eyes._

 _Finally, as her eyes drifted shut and the hand fell limply from his face, he understood._

" _Something's coming."_

Laxus awoke with a start, blinking rapidly as the last remnants of the dream cleared from his sleep-boggled mind.

The fear and panic he felt for the life of his guild mate, however, remained the same.

The Slayer scrambled clumsily to his feet, scanning the room for the blonde and finding her sitting in her own seat staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Laxus? What-oof!" Lucy squawked in surprise.

The minute he spotted her, he lunged for her. His eyes and hands roved over her form in search for the injuries she sported in that horribly vivid nightmare.

He barely heard the strangled noise she made when his hands grazed over her breasts. But he wasn't paying attention to what he was actually touching. All he knew, was that in the dream she had been bleeding out from the space right in between them.

It was only when two soft hands grabbed his cheeks and yanked his face so he could meet her confused and alarmed gaze, did he realize exactly what he had just been doing.

He could feel his entire face go beet red in an uncharacteristic full-fledged blush.

"I uh… I wasn't-I didn't." He stammered hastily.

Lucy searched his face for a moment before giving him a gentle smile and patting the seat next to her.

Laxus immediately obliged, not wanting to increase his chances of earning one of her famous 'Lucy Kicks'. Bickslow's face had bruised terribly each time he'd acquired one, and honestly the thought of receiving one himself kind of terrified him. Not that he'd ever admit that.

After she retrieved the book he assumed she had been reading before his sudden attack from the floor, marked her page, and put it back in her bag, she turned in her seat to face him.

"So, care to explain what that was all about?" She asked, and he grimaced.

When he remained silent, merely racking his brain for some sort of reson to explain his behavior, she delicately cleared her throat to gain his attention.

Surprising him greatly, the Celestial mage reached over and grabbed his hand.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Laxus. I know from the expression on your face that you weren't just trying to cop a feel. You looked…worried. Or something."

Startled by her sudden gentleness, he continued to stare at her with what he just knew was a stupid dumbfounded expression plastered on his stupid face.

Lucy sighed and looked down at their joined hands. "Look, you helped me out more than you'll ever know this morning. And I'll forever be grateful. So, let me help you, Laxus. I've never seen you so panicked." She smiled up at him encouragingly. "You can talk to me."

The Dragon Slayer stared at her for another moment before heaving a large sigh.

"I uh.." He started hesitantly and at her nod of encouragement, he continued. "I had a dream…about you."

The blonde blinked. "Me?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

Laxus sighed again and closed his eyes, then wrenched them back open when an image of her smiling at him with bloodstained teeth played behind his lids.

Giving his head a quick shake, he blundered on. "It was awful. We were just standing there talking and then you got hit by this attack. But I didn't even see what hit you. I couldn't hear or smell any sign of the attacker. Nothing. A-and then I had you uh closer to me while I looked for the bastard that got you. But the wind got all crazy and loud and I couldn't even hear what you were saying." He took a deep breath and felt her squeeze his hand lightly. "But then you got hit. Again. Which now that I think about it, it doesn't even make sense. With how it tore through your chest and how close we were standing, it should've hit me too. Anyway, then you were….you were dying." By the end of this he was practically whispering.

"O-oh." She whispered back.

He nodded and frowned. "So I had you in my lap and I didn't know what to do. And you were trying to say something to me, but with the crazy loud wind I couldn't hear a damn thing. A-and my magic wouldn't work. So I couldn't get us out of there to find help. I felt completely useless. But then you were smiling at me and trying to calm _me_ down. Then you tried saying something. Over and over again. I tried reading your lips, but I couldn't tell what it was you were trying to tell me. I finally got it, though. Right before I woke up."

Lucy was holding both of his hands now. He looked down and if he didn't feel like bawling like a little bitch he would've laughed. Her small pale hands looked _tiny_ compared to his larger ones.

"What was I saying?" She asked quietly.

"This is the part that freaks me out. You were saying 'something's coming.'"

Laxus felt her shudder next to him. "I know. But it all was so vivid. I could smell everything. _Feel_ the wind. The wetness of your…blood. So when I woke up, it felt like it really happened. And when I saw you, I just…"

"You needed to make sure I wasn't really hurt like I was in the dream." She concluded.

"Yeah. Sorry for jumping you like that." He said, feeling slightly embarrassed about the whole thing.

Lucy merely shrugged and smiled at him. "No worries. After having a dream like that, I probably would've done the same thing."

Laxus opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the lacrima speakers announcing their arrival to the station in the next fifteen minutes.

She sat back, removing her hands from his to look out the window.

"Finally. I hate just sitting there all day. I just get so restless, you know?" The Celestial mage said, looking at him over her shoulder.

Realizing she was asking him a question and blatantly ignoring the feeling of loss he felt as soon as she let go of his hands, he gave a quick nod and rose to his feet to gather his belongings.

After the train stopped and they left the station, the group trekked on through the town to find a place to sleep for their final night traveling and a place to eat.

They found an inn close to the station, which luckily had a bar and grill type place right next to it.

The group purchased a single room like they had been doing this entire time to save money, dropped off their things, and then walked to the restaurant next door.

Upon entering the bar and grill, they were greeted by a hostess and led to a large table near the bar.

It was already nearing ten o'clock, and the tired group of mages were more than thankful to have found a place to eat that was open this late.

After ordering their drinks, they resigned to chatting amongst themselves.

"So uh, how was being all alone with Cosplayer?" Bickslow asked in a hushed tone as to not be overheard by the blonde in question.

Laxus quirked a brow in annoyance. "Fine, I guess. I slept pretty much the whole time."

The Seith mage stared at him incredulously. "Seriously? You were given alone time with a smokin' hot blonde and you _sleep_ the whole time?"

The Dragon Slayer just grunted instead of dignifying what was said with a response.

Realizing he wasn't getting any more out of him, Bickslow sighed and turned to Freed for conversation. The Rune mage had forgone a book and seemed to actually be interested in spending time with the mages around him. This happened occasionally, especially on nights like tonight where their days of travel wound down to a close.

Laxus wasn't really paying attention to that, though. He was surprisingly a little pissed off that Bickslow would make a comment like that. Sure, in the past he would've jumped at the chance his team had given him to get a little ass. But Lucy wasn't like that, and Bickslow should know as much. He was the one who had called her out on being a virgin for Mavis's sake. She wouldn't just give it up on a fucking train.

His irritated thoughts were interrupted as a man came to their table and passed out their drinks.

He was of average height, with a lean build. His long red hair was pulled back into a low pony tail, and Laxus couldn't help but think the grin on his face made him look like an idiot.

Or maybe it was because he was openly grinning at the blonde woman who seemed to have taken up permanent residence in his thoughts.

"Hey gorgeous, what can I get you tonight?" The bastard said with a wink.

Laxus bit back a growl, but didn't hide the glare he was leveling at him.

Lucy flushed slightly and glanced back at her menu. "Um, I'd like the tuna melt with the side salad."

"Alright." He said brightly as he scribbled it down in a small notebook before taking down the rest of their orders. It was ridiculous how differently he spoke to the rest of them. He almost sounded bored.

When the waiter turned to Laxus, though, the man visibly paled at the look he was sending him.

He glanced at his name tag. Fucking _Steve_.

"A-and what c-can I get you, sir?" Steve stammered.

"Burger. Medium-rare. Side of fries and another beer." He said, never breaking eye contact.

Now visibly shaking, Steve nodded and practically ran back to the kitchen to give the cook their orders. And probably cry.

Turning back to his team and Blondie, he practically flinched at the glares the two women were giving him. The guys were just looking at him curiously, and subtly scooting away from the girls.

"What on Earthland was that all about?" Ever demanded, gesturing with her fan in the direction the waiter had scurried off to.

"The poor guy was just taking our orders! But you acted as though he just committed some terrible crime!" Lucy exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"I…" Laxus sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I don't know. Just got a bad vibe from the guy."

Lucy raised a brow, but her expression turned thoughtful, as did Ever's.

"Well that's odd." The Fairy mage mused. "I didn't get any bad vibes from the guy."

Bickslow suddenly straightened and looked as though he had finally understood something.

"Oh I totally felt it. Dude reeked of bad news." The Seith mage said, nodding enthusiastically.

Freed yelped and jumped slightly in his seat. "Oh yes. Very bad vibes, indeed"

The Celestial mage eyed them critically for a moment before sighing and relaxing back in her seat. "Well if you say so."

The second the girls resumed their conversation with each other, Bickslow grinned and shot the Lightning mage a thumbs up.

After that debacle, and unsurprisingly having a completely different waiter bring them their food, the Fairy Tail mages ate and chatted comfortably. When they finished, some decided to stay and enjoy the bar, while others went back to their rooms to sleep.

Laxus, Bickslow, and Lucy all sat at the bar laughing as one of Bicks's babies scared the crap out of another patron.

"Sorry!" Bickslow called after he finished laughing at the man's girl-ish scream. "They wander off sometimes."

The man just grumbled and waved him off before turning back to nursing his drink.

The Seith mage sat in between the Dragon Slayer and the Celestial mage. The men were knocking back beers, while the blonde woman opted for a few glasses of wine.

Laxus noticed after her third glass, her cheeks were starting to turn pink and she was giggling. A lot.

All in all, the trio was having a great time, including Laxus.

That is until about two hours into drinking at the bar.

Fucking _Steve._

The little weasel finally grew a pair and approached the now very tipsy blonde with a cheesy smile.

Laxus smirked when he realized the man was very pointedly not looking in his direction, but that smirk quickly turned into a scowl the second he opened his mouth.

"Hey gorgeous, mind if I join you?"

Lucy nearly toppled off of her stool at the unexpected voice beside her.

"Oh um, sure."

The Dragon Slayer leaned forward in his seat so he could watch the interaction better. Completely ignoring the way the Seith mage beside him snorted and leaned back to give him a better view.

Steve took the seat next to her and swiveled to face her after flagging down the bartender and ordering a beer of his own.

"So uh, I've never seen you around here."

"That's because I'm just passing through." She said.

The waiter smiled as he received his drink. "Oh yeah? Where are you heading to?"

Laxus couldn't help but notice how tense her shoulders were, and wanted nothing more than to punch the guy in his stupid smile. But he knew she would get pissed at him, so he simply continued to watch them as they talked.

"Magnolia." She replied shortly.

The redhead whistled. "That's a ways away. What brought you all the way out here?"

Lucy took a small sip of her wine before she responded with a shrug. "A job."

"What kind of job?" Laxus rolled his eyes at the man's poor attempt at conversation and heard Bickslow snicker quietly beside him.

The blonde woman sighed. "Nothing major. Just had to scare off some thieves who kept stealing from a sweets shop. Turned out to be a couple of rebellious teenagers. One giant bull with a huge axe later, and I don't think they'll be a problem anymore."

Bickslow and Laxus snorted.

"A…giant bull? So you're a mage, then."

Lucy nodded and held up her hand to show him her mark. "A Fairy Tail mage."

The waiter's eyes widened. "I knew you looked familiar!"

"Huh?" She asked, confused.

"Yeah! You were in the Grand Magic Games a few years ago! I was totally rooting for you, too!"

This, apparently, got her attention. "Really?"

The redhead smirked. "Well yeah. A pretty blonde who could kick ass? What's not to root for?"

The blonde blushed and took another, rather large, sip of her wine.

But when Steve decided it was time to place a hand on her bare knee, making her flinch from the obviously unwanted contact, Laxus had enough.

"Actually, we're all Fairy Tail mages." He said, straightening in his seat.

Steve sighed and finally acknowledged their presence with a bored expression.

"Oh really? That's interesting."

"Yep." He said, popping the 'p'.

Lucy giggled and turned so she could see him better, causing the hand on her knee to slide right off.

Holding back his victorious smirk, he met the now scowling man's glare. "Name's Laxus. That's Bickslow."

"Nice to know." He said flatly, before putting his hand on the blonde's shoulder and physically turning her around so she was facing him again.

Laxus growled, which made the man flinch slightly but otherwise ignore him.

Hand still on her shoulder, he smiled brightly. "Why don't you and I get out of here and find somewhere a little more… private. To talk."

Lucy shook her head and tried removing his hand. "Thanks, but we have an early day tomorrow and it's already pretty late."

Steve still didn't remove his hand, despite the woman's efforts to pry it off. "That's ok. I won't keep you out too long." He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear suggestively. "We can be real quick."

And Laxus lost it.

With a feral growl, Laxus jumped from his seat and grabbed the slimy waiter by the throat, slamming the back of his head into the bar.

Lightning was sparking across his skin and reflecting in the man's wide terrified eyes.

"What part of 'no' don't you fucking get?" He growled. "When a lady says no, you fucking back off!"

"Laxus stop!" Lucy cried as she tried to pry his hands off the man's throat.

"No! This bastard had his fucking hands all over you when you were clearly uncomfortable with it!"

"I get it, and you're right. But I could've handled it just fine." She said calmly. "There's no reason for you to be doing this."

Laxus closed his eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh.

She was right. There really wasn't a reason why he was choking the guy. She was a mage, a strong one and could've easily defended herself against him.

But seeing his hands on her while she so clearly wanted them off, just made his blood boil with rage.

He opened his eyes and leaned closer to the gasping _Steve_ (He really hated that name) and spoke in a low threatening voice. "Fine. But you better remember that when a lady, or _anyone_ , obviously doesn't want you touching them, you. Fucking. Don't."

The redhead nodded frantically and Laxus released him, not even bothering to watch as he fled the building.

Taking a few deep breaths, he felt his anger dwindle and die out and turned to face the music.

Said music had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised, annoyance written clearly on her face.

"Care to explain yourself?"

Laxus grimaced at her tone, but before he could even open his mouth and attempt to defend himself, the bartender stopped him short.

"Hey, I saw that little show. There's no fighting in my bar. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here." She barked.

With that, Lucy apologized and paid their tab, then turned on her heel, leaving the two men to stand there looking like a pair of idiots.

Slowly, Laxus made to follow her lead and felt Bickslow come up behind him.

As they exited the bar and grill, the Seith mage clapped the blonde man on the shoulder.

"Nice."

 **So… I mean it's not** _ **super**_ **long. But it's considerably longer than the last chapter. That counts for something, right?**

 **Anyhoo, they're almost back to Magnolia! Where actual plot stuff will happen, so don't worry.**

 **I just want to thank all of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story so far. You have no idea how much it means to me, and how much it encourages me to continue on with the story.**

 ***Insert awkward happy dance here***

 **See you all next time!**


	8. Fishy

**Woooooo! New chapter.**

 **This story has reached a little over 350 followers and 100 reviews! YAY! I am so incredibly happy. It might not seem like much to some, but it is to me and I'm so grateful for all of you who read my work. If I could give each of you a big bear hug, I would. Because I am a hugger. Hugs are life.**

 **For those of you who are wondering when this story is going to pick up or when the blondes are going to finally get together, the answer is very very soon. There's going to be some big stuff happening in the next chapter!**

 **Anyway, here's chapter 8. I hope you like it :)**

The next day found Lucy staring dejectedly out the window of the train as the impending arrival of Magnolia's station blared out of the lacrima speakers.

After storming out of the bar and grill the night before, she heading straight to their room, took a quick shower and crawled into bed with an already snoring Evergreen. As tired as she was, she couldn't fall asleep and it took every ounce of willpower inside of her to remain in bed and not punch Laxus in the throat.

Yes, she had made it quite obvious to the redheaded waiter throughout their conversation that she wasn't interested. And yes, while his touches and manhandling made her very uncomfortable, she was more than capable of handling things on her own. She had been through countless battles with powerful foes and had come out on top. But the man hadn't even been a mage! It would've been easy to send him on his way.

Did Laxus really not think she could handle it on her own? He told her before that he didn't find her weak, but his actions the night before proved otherwise.

She didn't even get a chance to _try_ and defend herself before he jumped in.

Eventually she had passed out, only to dream flashing images of keys. Lots of them. And fear, blood, pain. By the time the sun started to rise, she had already given up all hopes of peaceful slumber, and settled herself at the small table in the corner of the room to work on her novel. She always brought a notebook and several pens with her on jobs for when she had some free time, and she was glad she had the foresight to do so again.

That day, Lucy avoided Laxus as much as she could. Her anger had died down considerably and now she was just left feeling kind of hurt over the whole thing.

The Dragon Slayer didn't even attempt to talk to her, so it made ignoring him that much easier.

But now they were home. They'd go their separate ways, live their own lives, and forget all about it.

As she walked to the guild, the Raijinshu were still beside her. Not wanting to get her hopes up, she chalked it up to going to the same place at the same time.

The second she stepped inside the big brown doors, two things happened at once.

The first thing that happened, was that she realized she never told anyone she'd be late on returning home.

The second thing that happened, was that she was immediately plowed over by a blue blur.

"Lucy!" The Exceed sobbed dramatically into her chest. "I thought you died!"

Before she could even respond, several other bodies were added to the steadily growing pile of mages on top of her.

"Lu! Thank Mavis you're ok!" Levy cried, squeezing the Celestial mage with all of her strength. Which was a lot, despite how small the girl was.

"You really had us worried, girl!" Cana slurred, her bottle of wine tipping dangerously over the blonde's face.

"Never worry us like that again." Erza scolded, then added in a softer tone, "But I'm really glad you're home safe."

Lucy could only wheeze. "Can't… breathe."

The girls and Exceed just laughed before scrambling off of the slightly smooshed blonde and helping her back to her feet.

Once she had regained her breath, she smiled apologetically at her friends. "Sorry guys. I ran into the Raijinshu on my job and traveled back with them. I didn't even think about calling to let anyone know I'd be late."

Levy waved her off. "That's ok. We're just glad you're back!"

"Yes, but do not forget if it ever happens again." The Requip mage chided gently, eyeing the group of mages behind the blonde curiously.

"I won't. Promise!" Lucy said with a smile, before following Erza's gaze over her shoulder.

The Raijinshu were still standing behind her, albeit a little hesitantly, so she shot them a small smile.

All but Laxus returned the gesture, instead walking around the group of girls to sit by the Master at the bar.

The Celestial mage frowned at the man's back, but was distracted as she felt a familiar pull of magic.

"Loke?" She inquired, watching her Spirit form from a flash of golden light.

"Hey Princess. Looking as beautiful as ever." He said with a sly smirk.

She rolled her eyes, as did the girls around her. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing. Just wanted to grab a drink and have some fun. On my own magic of course."

Lucy beamed at him. "Sure! Have fun!"

The leader of the Zodiac winked at her. "Don't I always?"

Ignoring the obvious innuendo, she turned to the rest of them and gestured to one of the empty tables. "Wanna sit with me?"

They all nodded and moved to sit, and Lucy was pleasantly surprised when Ever, Freed, and Bickslow joined them.

She couldn't help herself from smiling brightly at them, but yelped when a foot connected with her shin beneath the table.

"Quit smiling so much, Cosplayer. Your lips are going to fall off." Bickslow cackled, his babies chanting 'Fall off' as they twirled above her head.

Despite her now bruising shin, she laughed with the rest of them.

The smile never left her face for the rest of the evening as they all chatted happily with one another.

}{}{}{

Laxus plopped down heavily at the bar. Nodding in thanks when Mira immediately placed a mug in front of him.

"What's got you in such a sour mood, brat?" Makarov asked from where he was sitting cross-legged on top of the bar.

The Dragon Slayer only grunted and eyed Mira cautiously as she tended to other members of the guild.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when his Gramps started cackling beside him.

"Girl trouble then, eh?"

Grumbling to himself, he took a rather large gulp of his beer, and glared at the old man when he merely cackled louder.

Catching his glare, the Wizard Saint held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Fine. Sorry. Go on my boy. Tell your Gramps all about it."

Laxus heaved a put-upon sigh. "I pissed Lucy off." He muttered.

Makarov's eyes widened marginally and shot to the openly laughing Celestial mage.

"How the hell did you manage that?" He asked in astonishment.

"Went to a bar. Might've choked a guy that kept touching her."

The guild Master spluttered. "You what?"

"Well I think that's wonderful."

Laxus nearly fell out of his seat as he turned to find Mira leaning over the bar directly in front of him, her chin perched delicately on her fists with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"How do you figure, child?" Makarov asked curiously, seemingly unsurprised at her sudden appearance.

The demon sighed wistfully. "Well when you love someone, of course you'll defend them and protect them. That's odd though. I didn't know you two were dating."

Now it was his turn to splutter as the barmaid and the guild Master exchanged knowing looks.

Thankfully, his savior arrived in the form of an unusually serious Celestial Spirit.

"Master, may I have a word with you privately?"

"What is this about, Loke?" Makarov intoned, forgetting about the interrupted conversation.

"I have a message for you from the Spirit King." He said quietly, glancing of his shoulder at his oblivious master.

All three of the mage's eyes widened, before Makarov cleared his throat and hopped down from the bar.

"Very well. Laxus will be joining us, if that's alright."

Loke nodded and Laxus rose to his feet to follow them to his office. "Yes that should be fine."

The trio walked in silence up the steps that led to the Master's office. Laxus and Loke took a seat in the chairs placed in front of his desk, while the Wizard Saint sat on the desk itself. Piles and piles of paperwork dwarfed the already tiny man, and Laxus grimaced knowing a lot of that would be given to him.

"Alright. Now what is this message?" His grandfather asked, gesturing for the Spirit to begin and breaking Laxus from his thoughts.

Loke sat a little straighter in his chair. "It is not certain, but worth mentioning to you, that something is stirring in the Spirit world. Two of the seven Celestial mages left have turned up dead in the last month alone. This could've happened for a number of reasons, but what is concerning the King and all of us, is that no one can find the Spirits those mages were contracted to."

Laxus felt the familiar pang of dread and fear coil in his gut.

The Master of Fairy Tail stroked his chin in thought, his eyes darkening considerably. "I see. That is rather disconcerting. Does Lucy know about this?"

Loke shook his head. "We see no need to scare her. However, if it continues she will be informed immediately. The King, having nothing to go on and no tangible proof that something is indeed going on, just wanted to let the guild Masters who have a Celestial Spirit mage in their ranks to be aware. Libra is informing Master Sting as well."

Laxus felt his anger rise, but bit his tongue. As if sensing his sudden shift in demeanor, Makarov cleared his throat. "I will keep an eye out. Is that all you wished to discuss?"

"Yes. I will report to you what we learn."

The old man nodded. "Very well. Thank you, child."

The Dreyars watched as the Zodiac Spirit waved and dissipated in a cloud of gold.

The second he was gone, Laxus decided to speak up. "This is ridiculous, Gramps. Who gives a crap if it scares her! If she knows now, at least she'll know and she can prepare herself if something really is going on."

"I agree."

Laxus gaped at him, fully expecting a lecture for his outburst.

"Close your mouth, brat, before you start catching flies." He chided.

The blonde snapped his mouth shut with an audible pop.

"Now I don't like not telling her either, but it's been declared by a higher being that we do not. Shut up, I'm not done." He snapped, and Laxus once again closed his mouth.

"We just need someone else to look out for her. Someone who knows of the situation. The issue with this is, that she tends to work solo the majority of the time lately. It would look suspicious if someone started tagging along out of the blue." The old man raised his head to meet his grandson's gaze, an amused and knowing gleam in his eye that had Laxus suppressing a groan. "Any suggestions?"

Well, shit.

}{}{}{

After a heated argument, a long lecture, and a defeated resignation, Laxus wearily made his way back down the stairs to the main floor of the guild.

He looked around the sea of mages to spot a familiar head of blonde hair. Which was really rather easy, being that Lucy was the only other blonde in the guild. He was not surprised in the least to find his team sitting with her. What surprised him, was that the bookworm, the drunk, and Tatania were with them and all chatting comfortably.

He was hoping to catch her on her own, or just with his team. That wouldn't have been a problem. Well besides the fact that it would be awkward as hell talking to her with how things were between them at the moment. But he really didn't like dealing with people. Yeah, these people were his nakama, but he avoided being in large groups as much as he could.

So, with another sigh he headed to the bar, determined to procrastinate the matter for just a little more.

Three beers later, he felt the all too familiar glare burning the top of his head and reluctantly raised his head to his grandfather sitting cross-legged on the railing of the second floor.

Makarov's expression didn't budge an inch, even as he lazily smoked his pipe. It screamed "do it now, you fucking brat."

Thankfully, luck seemed to be on his side, as his ears picked up several voices wishing the Celestial mage goodnight.

Laxus turned in his seat and watched as she made her way to the guild's entrance, waving to her friends with a small smile. Their eyes met for a moment before she fully turned away and walked through the doors out into the night.

He waited a few minutes, completely ignoring the heat of Makarov's glare on the back of his head, before standing from his stool and walking to his team. They were still sitting at the same table, the others having left to do their own thing as soon as the blonde left for the night.

"Hey Boss man, wanna knock a few back before we take off?" Bickslow asked.

He really _really_ wanted to. Hell, he'd gladly let Ever turn him into stone for a few hours or even sit and listen to Freed's philosophical ramblings. Literally anything other than going to confront that damned spitfire of a woman, who he was fairly certain did not like him very much right now.

But it needed to be done.

It didn't matter if she liked him, or if he liked her. Something fishy was going on, and he'd be damned if something happened to her. She might have grown on him. Just a little.

"Nah, I'm beat. I'm just going to head home. Did you guys want to pick something out for us to take tomorrow?" He said once he shook free from his thoughts.

Ever huffed, annoyed, fanning herself as she shot him a glare. "We literally just got back! I for one, need rest in between jobs."

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Well, I was going to ask Blondie if she wanted to join us. But if you wanted to stay back and rest, that's fine."

Her fan stopped abruptly and she beamed at him. "Really?"

He simply nodded, fighting back a smug smirk at her expected reaction.

She practically leapt out of her seat, hauling Bickslow and Freed out of theirs as well. "Ok, we'll go pick one out right now! Goodnight, Laxus!"

He chuckled quietly as he watched her drag them to the request bored before turning and walking out of the guild.

Laxus followed her scent through Magnolia quickly, hoping she hadn't already made it home. It would make things so much weirder if he just showed up at her place instead of "accidentally" running into her on her way home.

He weaved through the dark quiet streets, surprised to be heading into a familiar part of town. Her scent grew stronger and sure enough, as he turned on to a new street he spotted her.

She was up quite a ways, but he could still see her. Her hair practically shone under the lacrima street lights, her hips naturally swaying as she walked to her destination.

The Dragon Slayer smirked. This just made it a whole hell of a lot easier to do.

He broke into a sprint, easily closing the distance with his significantly longer legs, and slowed to a leisurely pace behind her.

"Fancy meeting you here, Blondie."

His laughter bounced off of the darkened houses around them as she jumped and whirled around.

Her face flushed red and she clutched at her furiously beating heart. "Stop sneaking up on me like that, you creepy vampire!" She shrieked.

He crossed his arms and grinned, amused at how flustered she looked.

"Hey, not my fault you never hear me coming." He shrugged.

"Whatever, Laxus. I'm going home. Goodnight." She turned on her heal and stomped away.

And he followed her.

"What are you doing? You can't follow me home." She glared at him as he matched her pace beside her.

He snorted. "Who said I was following you home, Blondie?"

She gestured between them. "What would you call this then?"

"What? Can't a guy make sure his _nakama_ got home alright?" He enjoyed teasing her.

It was her turn to snort. "Uh huh, sure. You're just a creepy creature of the night waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Sorry to disappoint you, but I probably don't taste all that great."

His head tipped back as he laughed, ignoring the lights flickering on in the houses around them. He looked down to find her obviously struggling not to smile, and leaned in closer to whisper in her hear. "I'm willing to bet that you do."

She spluttered, turning crimson, and he couldn't help but laugh at the look on her face. It was far too easy to mess with her, and he hadn't laughed like this with someone who wasn't on his team in a really long time. It was safe to say he was enjoying himself.

They turned on to a different street and she stopped in front of a duplex. It was small, but perfect for one person. A stone path led to a blue front door. A large bay window with yellow flowers blooming on the sill. Lacy white curtains blocked his view of inside, but he could still see the light of what he assumed was a small lamp pouring through them. There was another stone path that led to a matching door right next to it, a matching bay window without flowers, and navy blue curtains.

He bit back a smile when he saw that her mailbox had small stars etched into the wood.

"Well this is it. See you around, Laxus." Her voice broke him from inspecting her home, and he looked to find her already walking up the path to her front door.

"Wait."

She stopped and looked at him curiously.

Laxus rubbed the back of his head, internally cursing his Gramps for putting him in this position.

"I uh, wanted to apologize. For what I did at that bar. I know you could've handled it. But I hate seeing women, especially ones that I know, get treated that way. And it just made me so angry. So I didn't think and dealt with it myself and-"

"It's ok." She cut him off, and he almost jumped when he realized she had moved while he was rambling like an idiot and was now standing right in front of him with a small smile on her face.

He was really, _really_ bad at talking to people.

"Are you sure? Because I really was kind of a dick."

Lucy waved him off and smirked, amusement dancing in her dark eyes.

"It's ok. I'm used to it." She winked, and he huffed. "I guess I'm just a little disappointed I wasn't the one to set him straight now more than anything. Sure, at first I was pretty mad. Then I was a little hurt that you thought I couldn't take care of myself."

He opened his mouth to apologize again, but she cut him off with a smile. "But now I just regret not being able to kick his ass. Seriously, I hate guys like that."

He raised a brow. "You deal with them often?"

She shrugged. "Often enough. But it's nothing I can't handle."

They stood there for a few moments in silence before Lucy cleared her throat.

"Was there….was there something else you needed?" She asked, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah! I actually wanted to ask you if you'd be interested in joining us on a job tomorrow. I know Ever was really hoping you'd come." Laxus said, trying to sound casual while he used the same tactic he had on the Fairy mage.

He watched as she shifted on her feet nervously while she thought about it. The light of the lacrima lamps reflecting off of the keys at her hip caught his eye, and Laxus was reminded of the reason he was doing this in the first place. How important it was that she hung around them instead of going off on her own, or with her destructive team that didn't know what was happening.

So he shoved his pride aside and bit the bullet.

"We…uh we all were really hoping you would come."

Her head snapped up and she stared at him with wide surprised eyes. He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but he thought he saw hope swimming in them once again.

"Why?" She asked softly.

Laxus honestly didn't know how to answer that question. He wasn't good with feelings, much less talking about them. So he came up with something simple, and hoped it would be enough.

"Well, we like you. We think you're a strong and capable mage. You get along with us well enough, so why not?"

"I guess… if you don't think me being there will hold you guys back at all, sure. I'll go." She said with a shy smile.

He found himself smiling back. "You wouldn't hold us back in the slightest. Meet us at the guild around eight tomorrow morning. The others are picking a job for us, so we'll make a plan then."

She nodded and smiled brightly. "Eight it is. Goodnight, Laxus."

He turned to continue walking down the street and tossed a wave over his shoulder. "Goodnight, Blondie."

Already halfway down the road, he chuckled to himself as she called out, "You're blonde too, you know!"

Laxus rounded the corner and walked the remaining four blocks to his own place.

It wasn't ideal, living in a very populated part of town. He had to remind himself several times a day that it was only temporary. The apartment wasn't much. Just a two bedroom one bathroom flat, with a decently sized living room and a tiny kitchen. It was scarce in furnishings, because the average ceilings and doorways made the tall bulky man feel cramped. He rented out the space while his dream house was under construction. Being a busy mage in a famous guild, he had to hire other people to build it for him. Which bummed him out, because he wanted to be the one to take his idea from paper and make it a reality. But that was just life, he supposed.

You can't always get what you want. For some reason, however, knowing that the buxom blonde lived just a few blocks away made it suck just a little less.

}{}{}{

The next morning, Lucy found herself sitting at the bar and drinking her favorite strawberry milkshake, watching in amusement as Mira tried to pry an empty mug from a passed out Cana's hands.

"Seriously! How can she hold on to it this tight in her sleep?" The silver-haired beauty leaned over the bar to shout into the Card mage's ear. "It's empty, Cana! I'm not stealing your booze!"

The Brunette didn't so much as twitch.

Lucy snorted.

"Just give it up, Mira. She'll wake up sooner or later." Cana hiccupped in her sleep. "Probably later."

Mira sighed and wiped her hands on her red dress before snatching up the rag she had dropped in her plight to collect _all_ of the dirty dishes.

"You're right, Lucy. So, what brings you here so early?" She asked with a warm smile as she wiped the bar around the passed out brunette.

"I stopped in for breakfast before meeting up with the Raijinshu. They invited me on a job." The blonde explained, taking a rather large bite of her scrambled eggs.

Mira raised a slender silver brow. "Laxus really can't stand being away from you, can he?"

Lucy choked on her eggs.

After spluttering, coughing, and a very concerned Warren pounding on her back, Lucy was able to take a sip of her milkshake and gawk at the Satan Soul mage.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She shrieked.

But she was ignored, as Mira was already murmuring to herself wistfully. "Oh it's so perfect. He's tough and rugged, and she's warm and kind!"

"Mira, what-"

"Both blondes. Think of the babies!"

"Babies? What are you-"

"Blonde hair, blue eyes, her smile. Or brown eyes and his jaw line."

Lucy just stared, wide eyed at the barmaid, before setting some Jewel down on the counter and slowly backing away.

When she was far enough, she turned and made a beeline for a table that was the farthest away from the bar.

With a sigh of relief, Lucy brushed Horologium's key before resting her head on the table. There was still twenty minutes before she was supposed to meet with the Raijinshu and she was bored out of her mind. Not to mention nervous as all hell to actually be working with the Thunder Legion.

Laxus had actually smiled at her while he reassured her she wouldn't hold them back. Actually smiled. She had been so surprised by the action that she had almost forgotten to respond back to what he was saying.

To say his smile was perfect was a gross understatement. It was simply breathtaking. When he genuinely smiled, it warmed his stormy blue eyes and made them shine. His normally hard and stoic face softened, making him look younger. Almost carefree. It honestly made her weak in the knees. Not that she would ever tell him that. His ego was big enough already.

She wasn't sure why she was feeling this way. Why _he_ was making her feel this way. She barely knew the man, but here she was, trying not to giggle like a school girl just thinking about his smile.

A heavy thump on the table near her head made her jump with a shriek.

"Oh man you should've seen your face!" A very smug, very naked, man cackled.

Lucy placed a hand on her chest, willing her heart to slow down and threw an icy glare at the two laughing mages standing before her.

Natsu and Gray wiped tears of mirth from their eyes as their chuckles subsided, only to pale as they saw the look on her face.

Happy, who had been perched on the Dragon Slayer's head, whispered something that sounded a lot like "Scary Lucy" and flew out of the guild as fast as he could.

Natsu rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, sorry Luce."

"Yeah, sorry Lucy." Gray said in a placating tone.

She eyed the two for a moment, before waving it off. "It's ok, but don't do it again. I almost had a heart attack." She turned to smirk at the raven-haired man. "Oh, and Gray? Your clothes."

The Celestial mage laughed as he looked down and cursed, before taking off to track down the missing garments.

The second he was gone, the atmosphere became uncomfortable. The tension was so thick it was almost tangible as she turned to the pinkette with an obviously forced smile.

"So, what brought you two here so early?" She asked.

Natsu shifted uncomfortably on his feet, his onyx eyes fixed on the table before her. "Oh, Erza we found a mission for Team Natsu before she left last night and told us to come in early and find you before taking off."

Lucy felt a pang of guilt run through her. Not because she couldn't go, but because she was relieved she didn't have to go. There would be no awkward tension, pent up emotion, or constant thinking about how things used to be. And that made her feel guilty. They were her team, her friends, her _nakama_. She should want to be with them, but she didn't. Not while it still hurt so badly to see how different everything was now.

Lucy looked down, studying the wood grain of the table as well. "I'm sorry. I was invited to join a mission with the Raijinshu today. They'll be here shortly."

Natsu was so quiet for a moment, she was sure he had walked away, but when she looked up to check she found him still standing there. He was looking at her rather intensely, seemingly conflicted about something. The blonde began to fidget under his gaze and right as she was about to snap at him to knock it off, a fully clothed Gray reappeared, clearing his throat.

They both startled slightly and looked to him.

"So you guys ready-" Natsu cut him off by turning and striding away.

"She's not coming. Let's go." He said hotly as he swiftly left the guild.

She offered an apologetic smile and well wishes, before he followed the uncharacteristically angry pinkette.

Lucy groaned and dropped her head back on to the table rather harshly, too frustrated to even notice the sharp sting on her forehead that would most likely leave a bruise.

Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why did everything have to turn out this way? Why couldn't things be like the way they were before?

"Hey there, Cosplayer."

Lucy was snapped out of her downwardly spiraling thoughts as the now familiar weight of little totems lined up to sit on her head and back.

"Hey Bix." She mumbled into the table before heaving a sigh and sitting up, cocking a brow when the totems stayed exactly where they were positioned instead of falling off or floating away.

"You look like someone pissed in your Cheerios." He said bluntly.

"Just a little stressed out. Don't worry about it." She gathered her bag and stood, the totems still staying were they were. "What are they doing?"

He shrugged. "The hell if I know."

Knowing better than to ask the totems themselves, she shrugged as well and followed him out of the guild to where the rest of the team were waiting.

Lucy viscously fought back a blush as the tall blonde looked up and gave her a grin.

"Ready to go Blondie?" He asked.

"Y-yeah. What is this job anyway?" She asked, pointedly ignoring the way she pathetically stuttered and followed them as they began to walk.

"Some stupid escort job. The son of some Duke is traveling to meet his new fiancé. Apparently, another family was not happy about their engagement and the Duke is afraid they will try something on his son's way there." Laxus explained as she matched his pace. It was a little difficult considering she had to take twice as many steps just to keep up with him.

"I see. Can I see the request?" She asked.

Laxus dug the piece of paper out of his back pocket and handed it to her.

Carefully unfolding the parchment, her eyes scanned the words and she sucked in a sharp breath.

Then she scanned them again, stopping dead in her tracks.

}{}{}{

Laxus looked down when he heard her gasp and frowned when he saw she had stopped walking.

Frowning, he gestured for the rest of his team to stop walking as well.

"What's up?" He asked.

She didn't seem to hear him however, and he was starting to feel a little concerned at how pale her face had become. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and she was obviously lost in thought.

"Lu? Is something wrong?" Ever asked, worry evident in her tone.

This too, went unanswered.

"Yo, Cosplayer!" Bickslow called loudly.

Even Freed looked mildly concerned as he watched the frozen Celestial mage.

It was then that Laxus noticed that Bickslow's babies were lined up. Four of them were sitting even with her spine, and one was sitting on the back of her head. He noticed this as the one on the back of her head floated up a little and smacked her before returning to its previous position.

Ignoring the weirdness that was Bickslow's totems, he watched as she yelped and blinked repeatedly, snapping out of whatever trance she had been in.

"What the hell was that about, Blondie?" He asked, stepping closer to peer at the request in her hands. He was confused. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he read over it earlier.

Lucy took a deep breath and shook her head. "Sorry, just a little surprised as all."

He snorted. "That looked more than just a little surprised."

Ever walked to her side to look as well, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I agree. You looked like you'd seen a ghost."

The small blonde sighed and continued walking. They all followed her lead and waited for her to explain.

"No, just a name I'd rather forget."

Laxus arched a brow, curious to what that meant.

"Do go on." Freed said, equally as curious.

"Well you guys know I was raised in high society." At their nods she continued. "Duke Sorenson was one of the families who wanted their son to take my hand in marriage. His son, Nathanial, was a pompous, arrogant flirt. He hit on me the entire time every time our fathers met to discuss business and he was very handsy." She visibly shuddered and Laxus bit his cheek to keep from growling. She got mad the last time he acted that way, and he didn't want to screw it up now that things were good again.

"Anyway, I was actually thankful my father chose someone else. Not that I was happy with the whole arranged marriage thing to begin with. But knowing the spoilt man wouldn't get his way made me happy."

"And now we're escorting him…" Laxus trailed off with a scowl. He fought the urge to throw the blonde over his shoulder and teleport back to the guild to pick out a different job. But his gramps had already called ahead to confirm who was coming and it would make the guild look bad if they backed out last second. Regardless, he felt bad knowing that she would be putting herself in an incredibly uncomfortable position.

"We could go back and-"

"No, Laxus. Fairy Tail doesn't quit or go back on their word." She said with a glare, and Bickslow's babies finally left her back to the safety of the Seith mage. "I will be just fine. Even though this guy is a pompous asshat that used to hit on me, doesn't mean I have to take it the way I had to in the past. Yeah, I won't be able to kick him in the face if he gets handsy, even though I'd really want to, but I can still stand up for myself. I'll be fine." She smiled at each of them. "Besides, I'll have you guys with me. And there's a silver key as part of the reward! That's totally worth it."

And just like that, Laxus was reminded of why he was doing this in the first place. Spirits were going missing. Celestial mages have died. Lucy might be in danger.

He really had to stop forgetting that.

So as the rest of his team agreed with her cheerfully, he gave a curt nod and continued walking. The Sorenson estate was located just outside Magnolia and was just a three hour walk. The weather was nice, his team and Lucy were cheery, even if she seemed lost in thought every once and awhile.

He was overreacting, he decided. It wouldn't be so bad.

}{}{}{

He was wrong.

It was awful.

The second the scrawny brat saw the petit blonde, he was all flirty smiles and casual touches. Well, when he could get close enough to touch her. The Raijinshu made it a point to always be in between her and the man to-be-wed. What surprised him was how often Bickslow was in that position. The Seith mage was practically glued to her side and it was increasingly entertaining each time one of his babies would "accidentally" smack Nathanial upside the head when he'd catch him staring.

They were informed that it would be a three day journey to his fiancé's estate. Nathanial would be riding by carriage, of course, while the rest of them and a few personal guards walked along side of it.

It was astounding how long it took the brat to get ready. One would think they would be more prepared since they knew they were coming that day. But of course everyone took their sweet old time packing away his belongings while the man himself lounged around and tried to get closer to the obviously uncomfortable blonde.

Nathanial was tall, not as tall as him, but still pretty damn tall. His hair was a deep brown that was almost black and bright violet eyes. He was obviously well dressed, but the little shit-stain was narcissistic as all hell.

Every chance he got, he either praised himself or fished for praise.

It was hilarious to watch both Ever and Lucy each time he tried it with them. It was apparent that they were immune to his "charm" and the faces he would make when they would all but ignore him were downright comical. He would pay good Jewel to watch that shit all day. It was even better that he was the one getting paid.

"Oh Lady Lucy, why don't you ride with me? I'm sure the walk will be rather tiresome for someone such as yourself and I would make a terrible gentleman to allow it." Nathanial practically cooed.

Laxus watched her fists clench and her foot rise only slightly before she forced herself to relax.

"As I've told you, it's just 'Lucy' now. And no thank you. I am a mage who is more than capable of walking long distances and have done so frequently before today." She said, visibly holding back a long list of insults. She knew, just like they all did, that the slimy bastard was just trying to get her alone. And like hell he would let that happen. Well, unless she wanted to, but she very obviously didn't.

The brunette sighed disappointedly. "Very well. We will be off now and make camp before nightfall." With that, he entered the carriage and a servant closed the door behind him.

Then they were off.

They had arrived at the Sorenson estate before noon and it had taken over two hours to get them to this point. The walk was slow and fucking _boring_.

Ever and Lucy were on one side of the carriage and he could hear them talking animatedly about what key the blonde might get this time. Bickslow was walking behind the carriage, his babies floating higher than usual to keep an eye on their surroundings, and annoying the shit out of one of the personal guards. Laxus actually felt a little bad for the guy, considering that half of what came out of the Seith mage's mouth were vulgar innuendos. But being as bored as he was, he was also pretty grateful for the mild entertainment.

Laxus was walking on the other side of the carriage with Freed. He loved the man, he really did. But all the Rune mage was talking about at the moment was the different wildlife he spotted as they passed. The Dragon Slayer now knew more about the flora and fauna than he ever wished to know.

After a while, the mages shuffled around and Laxus ended up walking next to Lucy instead of Ever.

It was quiet between them for a bit. Neither of them knowing how to strike up a conversation at the moment.

Finally, he'd had enough. "Why doesn't he just take a damn train? He could have gotten there a hell of a lot faster than this."

The blonde beside him giggled. "Oh hush, it's not too terrible. But think about it. It's cheaper this way. They don't have to pay for his train ticket, plus a ticket for every guard or servant who accompanies him."

"So you're telling me, these rich fucks are travelling a lot longer than they have to because they're being cheapskates?" He asked incredulously.

She nods. "Pretty much."

The taller blonde glares at the carriage for a moment before looking down at her again. "That's really fucking stupid."

Lucy looks up at him and laughs. "Yup."

And all of a sudden he's caught up in the light shining in her chocolate eyes. In the sun he can see little flecks of gold that lighten them to more of an amber. Her hair glittered and swayed in the summer breeze, her cheeks were dusted pink, and her smile was simply radiant. _She_ was simply radiant.

But then she turned away to face the path as they walked, leaving him blinking and a little dazed.

He honestly needed to get his shit together. He would admit that he felt a little more than basic attraction to the buxom blonde. A crush, maybe. But Laxus Dreyar didn't fucking _do_ crushes. He didn't really do feelings in general. Because feelings were some of the most confusing things on the planet. And right now his were a clusterfuck of pure chaos. He didn't have time for this. There were more important things he needed to focus on. Like this job and keeping Lucy safe. Trying to sort any of it out would just be a complete waste of his time.

So he wouldn't.

The group made slow progress until the sun lowered and cast a rich golden glow over the world around them.

The head guard, who he thought was named Simon but he wasn't sure and didn't really care, called for them to stop and set up camp.

Tasks were assigned to each of them and when they were asked to send someone for fire wood, Lucy surprised them all by stepping forward.

Nathanial and Simon scoffed.

"You? Really?" Nathanial guffawed. "And how the hell are you going to manage that, little girl?"

As much as Laxus wanted to sucker punch the guy, he was also curious as to what she was planning. He knew without a doubt that she could pull it off, he had learned that Lucy Heartfilia was not one to be underestimated.

The woman in question turned her nose up and sniffed delicately, before turning her back to them and pulling out a golden key.

She widened her stand, held the key out in front of her, twisting it like she was actually unlocking something with it, and calling out with confidence, "Open! Gate of the raging bull, Taurus!"

A doorbell chimed and a giant humanoid bull appeared in a plume of golden light.

The two men behind him gasped and took a cautious step back. He had to physically restrain himself from laughing at them.

Lucy explained the situation to her Spirit and he took off into the tree line, giant axe in hand.

"That is how I'll manage the task." She winked. "Anything else?"

They didn't ask her for anything else. They also, surprisingly, didn't ask him to do anything. Probably because he looked like he'd zap anyone who asked with his lightning. And he probably would, or at least want to. He was an escort, not a damn servant.

Tents were set up, several fires were blazing, and food and ale were passed around. Lucy was sitting opposite of Nathanial around the fire in between Bickslow and himself. Truth be told, he didn't really like knowing that she would be sleeping in the general vicinity of the overconfident snob. Not only was he completely into himself, he also had this air about him when he talked to her that screamed "I always get what I want, no matter what" and it left a sour taste in the Dragon Slayer's mouth.

He knew for a fact that he wouldn't get a wink of sleep tonight. So, when everyone went to their respective tents, save for the mages keeping guard, he offered to take watch and let the others get a little sleep.

It was somewhat expected how the rest of his team set up their sleeping arrangements. Lucy laid down in her cot and seemed to be asleep, but he could tell she was still awake. After a while, Ever moved her cot to one side of her, and Bickslow moved his to the other. About twenty minutes later, Freed moved his cot by their feet. It seemed as though the Raijinshu had noticed the same thing he had, and weren't taking any chances.

It was kind of amazing, how much they already seemed to care for her. Not Ever, because he'd expected as much. But Bickslow and Freed were like him and didn't warm up to people all that often. Somehow, Lucy was different. Even if that spark in her had dimmed considerably, she still had this warmth that people flocked to. He had never met anyone who had that kind of warmth.

An hour later, after his team drifted off into sleep, movement caught his eye.

The blonde was sitting up in her cot, looking at the mages around her with an amused, but grateful, smile. She got up and looked around their make-shift campsite, eyeing the tree line warily.

"We're good, Blondie." He said loud enough for her to hear.

She swiveled around to face him with a gasp, before marching up to where he sat leaning on a tree, and smacked his shoulder.

"Stop fucking doing that!" She hissed quietly.

He chuckled. "Doing what? Not my fault you never pay attention to your surroundings."

The blonde crossed her arms and plopped down next to him with a huff. "I do pay attention, thank you very much. You're just way too good at being sneaky."

"I take that as a compliment, even though it sounded like an insult."

Giving up, she settled back against the tree next to him, grumbling under her breath about "cocky creatures of the night."

There was a few moments of silence before he spoke up. "Can't sleep?"

She sighed. "Nope."

"Is it because he makes you uncomfortable? Because even if I fell asleep, which I doubt I would, I'd wake up if I heard anyone start walking around. I'd know if he'd try anything." He said calmly, internally pissed off that the bastard made her feel like she couldn't even sleep near his presence.

"Thank you, but that's not it. Being under the stars give me too much energy to sleep. It will be awhile until I can pass out." She sounded amused.

He'd forgotten about that.

"That must suck on jobs." He grunted.

The Celestial mage just shrugged. "Nah, I'm used to it."

There was another stretch of silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable like it had been earlier.

Laxus glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She had her head tipped back against the tree, looking up at the small patches of sky mostly obscured by branches and leaves.

"Can you see any?" He asked her, and she rolled her head to look over at him.

"Hm?"

"Constellations. The trees are blocking off a lot of the sky, but can you see any at all from where we're sitting?"

Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment before looking up and pointing. He leaned his head closer to her so he could see the shape she was tracing better.

"Do you see that? It kind of looks like an upside-down heart, but pointier, and then there's a line that comes out of the top?" She was practically whispering.

He nodded, trying to ignore the fact that their heads were almost touching. He could feel her silky blonde hair grazing his cheek, and for some reason her heart was beating a lot faster than it was before.

"Th-that's Aquila. Gate of the northern eagle."

Part of him took pride in the blush he could see dusting prettily on her cheeks. He realized, with some sort of elation, that he was the reason she was acting this way.

But the other part of him was reacting much the same way. His heart was thundering in his chest, and something inside of him was screaming at him to pull her closer and kiss her until they were both breathless.

"Ah." He whispered, his voice lower than usual, and he felt, more than saw, her shiver.

Laxus leaned in a little closer, deciding to give in to that pull and kiss her. See if she felt th-

"Well we have a long day tomorrow." She chirped, springing up so fast he almost fell flat on his face. "I'm going to try and get some sleep, now. Thanks for keeping me company. Goodnight!"

He watched, frozen and perplexed, as she all but ran back to her cot and dove under the thin blanket, covering her face.

"Uh…goodnight?" He barely managed to whisper, long after she had rolled over so she wasn't facing him.

Huh.

 **Poor Laxus. He just wanted to kiss the girl (Little Mermaid anyone? Yeah? No? Ok.)**

 **Not a whole lot in this chapter besides their slowly developing relationship. But the end of this mission is important, so hang in there. I've been thinking about this next chapter and how it will go down for weeks now, so the next chapter might get posted a little sooner. No promises though, because life happens and so does writer's block.**

 **Thanks for reading! Please like/follow/review if you want to.**

 **See you guys for chapter 9: "The Snap"**


	9. The Snap: Part One

The next morning, Lucy woke with the feeling of being smothered.

It took her a moment to fully comprehend the fact that she couldn't move.

She really wasn't a morning person.

Blinking a few times, she lifted her arm to rub her eyes.

Well, she tried to.

"Huh?" She mumbled unintelligibly, trying again.

It was then that she realized it wasn't still dark outside. Somehow, her blanket had moved to cover her face.

"It be really nice if I could use my hands right now…" She grumbled.

Her arms were pinned to her sides, and there was a heavy weight restricting the movement of her feet. Wiggling her toes experimentally, she nearly jumped out of her skin when there was an answering groan.

The blonde sighed and began moving her head, finding purchase in the blanket with her nose. Slowly but surely, the blanket started shifting down her face.

After a few minutes of this, she gave an internal cry of victory before looking around her.

"What the hell?"

Somehow during the night, she had become the filling of a Bickslow and Ever sandwich, while Freed became a living foot warmer.

She was beginning to think waking up smothered was going to become an everyday occurrence with this group.

A low chuckle alerted her to the fact that once again, someone had caught her in this predicament.

"Uh, little help?" Lucy tilted her head back to see an upside-down Laxus smirking at her with his arms crossed.

He stroked his chin in mock thought, the barely there light of dawn eclipsing most of his face in shadow.

Bickslow squeezed her tighter, nuzzling his face into her chest. "Mmph…soft…"

Heat spread over her entire face all the way to the tips of her ears, a shrill 'eep' sound bursting from her lips.

She looked up again at the "contemplating" Dragon Slayer with pleading eyes.

Except now his focus was on the man burrowed between her breasts. There was an odd expression on his face she couldn't quite figure out, especially viewing it from this angle.

Before she could ask, or even blink, her arms were grabbed and she was hauled out of her cot and to her feet.

Slightly disoriented from the sudden change in position, she looked up at her savior. His face was back to its usual stoic expression and he was still watching the sleeping mages.

"Thanks." She said quietly, hugging herself as the early morning chill seeped through her thin sweat pants and tank top.

Laxus shrugged indifferently and grunted.

Interpreting that as his version of a 'you're welcome,' Lucy eyed him for another moment before wordlessly turning to watch the rest of the team as well.

"Oh…this…" She started excitedly smacking his arm to get his attention. "Do you have a camera?"

Bickslow had turned to lay on his other side and was snuggling his own pillow, while Ever had scooted closer in search of warmth to spoon him. Freed had curled around both of their feet, hugging them closer to his face.

"Oi, quit hitting me, Blondie!" He hissed quietly, swatting her hands away before speed-walking to their bags.

She just couldn't help feeling giddy. It was rare to be the one teasing others while they slept as it usually only happened to her.

The blonde pressed her hands as tight as she could over her mouth to conceal the girlish squeals and giggles that were involuntarily pouring through her lips. She hadn't even noticed Laxus returning to her side with Ever's camera (she took that thing everywhere) or the fact that she was jumping up and down.

After snapping a few shots and returning the camera, Laxus walked back to her with an amused gleam in his stormy blue eyes.

"I totally get it now." He said, and she stopped her hopping to look at him questioningly.

"Get what?" She whispered, confused.

Laxus smirked and walked passed her to start waking up the rest of the team, tossing her a grin over his shoulder. "You should go get dressed…Bunny Girl."

Lucy flushed from head to toe. "That's not even it, you overgrown circuit breaker!" She huffed indignantly and stalked to her own bag, crushing it to her chest.

His laughter only stoked the flame and she glared at him.

"Oh, where did that nickname come from then?" He said as he kicked at the Seith mage.

With her head held high in defiance she started walking further into the forest to change.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

She didn't stick around to hear his response

After changing into a pair of black denim shorts, a teal babydoll tank top, and her favorite combat boots, she called out Capricorn and asked him to scout the route ahead for any signs of trouble and made the trek back to where they were camped.

The sun was just starting to rise above the horizon, casting an almost pink glow over the trees.

Guards and servants were now bustling around and preparing breakfast.

As soon as she spotted the once slumbering mages, all traces of anger and embarrassment were shoved away, while giddiness and mischievousness flooded through her.

The rest of the morning was spent dropping hints and sharing knowing glances with Laxus.

She was having so much fun with it, she was able to simply brush off Nathanial's advances as if they were nothing. In all honesty, she was hardly paying attention to the guy. Which she immediately regretted.

"What?" Lucy asked, completely dumbfounded.

"It has been discussed with our charge and his security that one of you will be joining him in the carriage for added protection. We believe you, Miss Heartfilia, would be best." Simon said in a tone that stated this was not negotiable, though she could see an apologetic look in his rusty colored eyes.

The blonde looked at her team. They all looked furious, obviously aware that Nathanial just wanted to be alone with her. Bickslow and Laxus in particular seemed to be fuming and ready to protest, but she couldn't let that happen. She was a mage of Fairy Tail. She was more than capable of taking care of herself. Not only that, but she knew how to handle men from high society. She knew she could do this.

"Alright." She said, squaring her shoulders in determination.

"Lucy you don't-"

"It's ok, Freed." She turned and gave them a quick wink. "I'll be just fine."

Laxus took a step forward with a scowl, mouth open to argue, but she sent him a small smile and made her way to the carriage.

The Celestial mage hesitated, before taking a steadying breath and climbing inside.

Almost immediately, the carriage started moving.

"Real smooth, Nathanial." She glared at the smug looking man.

The carriage was empty, save for the two of them. She should have known.

Nathanial shrugged, brushing his dark hair back, before patting the empty seat next to him. "How else was I supposed to get us alone? It's passed due for a little catching up between old friends, don't you think?"

Lucy snorted and took a seat on the other side of the carriage so she was facing him.

"There's a lot of things a lot of things I could say regarding our past…interactions, but for the sake of the job I am doing I will put it as politely as I can manage." She leaned back in her seat, crossing both her arms and her legs as she glared at him. "I never once, any time we met, considered you a friend."

He placed a hand over his heart as though it hurt and smirked. "You wound me, Lady Lucy."

"Lucy. Just Lucy." She hissed.

He held his hands up in surrender. "Fine. Have it your way. If you wish to degrade your title and yourself, so be it…Lucy."

Her eyes narrowed and she was torn between wanting to beat him or laugh at him. She bit her cheek to keep herself from doing either.

But the dark haired man didn't realize the situation he was getting himself into and continued digging himself deeper.

"I mean honestly, _Lucy_. You were once at the top of high society, under the royal family of course. I just don't understand why someone would willingly leave all of that behind to scrounge around as a dirty _guild mage_." His lips curled in disgust as though the words repulsed him. "It's sad, really. Knowing what you once were and seeing you like this." He gestured to her appearance.

And with that, her restraint broke.

Bright peals of laughter burst from her and she clutched at her sides. She just couldn't help it. It was too good!

When Lucy was finally able to calm down, she straightened in her seat and wiped the tears of mirth from her eyes.

Nathanial was gaping at her like she had lost her mind.

"That is rich coming from you, Nathanial." She giggled.

His brow arched. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You forget how gossip spreads in your world. I find it quite humorous, really. You're a thirty-something year old divorcee in high society. That's almost unheard of, not to mention frowned upon. Not only that, but you went back to your _father_ for another arrangement because you couldn't find a woman on your own. And yet _you_ find _my life_ sad. My life is full of freedom and adventure. I can say with full certainty that I have upgraded."

Lucy smiled brightly as he fumed, face bright red with fists clenched tightly in his lap.

"Nothing to say to that?" She asked, standing and smoothing her clothing free of any wrinkles.

When he continued to just glare silently at her she laughed and walked to the carriage door. "That's what I thought. Goodbye, Nathanial."

Lucy opened the door and jumped to the ground with little effort, as the carriage was moving slow enough for the walking members of their party to keep up with it.

Immediately she felt arms wrap around her, and as her face was pressed into a firm chest she found that it was shaking.

Looking up and backing away slightly, she came face to face with a widely grinning Dragon Slayer. Belatedly, she realized he was laughing. And he was a Dragon Slayer.

Shoving him away, she stomped her foot and pointed at him accusingly. "You were listening to all that weren't you?"

This only made him laugh harder. "Not like I can help it, Blondie. But that was gold!"

His laughter was contagious and she couldn't stop herself from joining in. When they calmed down, she saw that they had fallen behind and that Ever was looking over her shoulder and smirking at them.

With a startled yelp, she bolted back to the carriage and turned to stick her tongue out at the man she thought she had left behind.

Key word here is _thought_.

However, in her haste she didn't notice that the man had been hot on her heels and stopped right behind her. A little too close, actually.

"Did you just lick me?" A deep, amused voice asked.

Realization dawned on her and she sucked her tongue back into her mouth at lightning speed.

She just licked Laxus Dreyar.

Sure he had a shirt on, but behind that dark purple dress shirt was a perfectly sculpted chest. And she had just licked it.

The little pervert that she kept locked away in the dungeons of her mind decided it was the perfect time to break free, and she wondered what it would be like to lick his bare chest. What would it taste like?

Heat consumed her entire face in embarrassment. Instinct took over before she could stop herself or consider any repercussions to her actions.

"LUCY KICK!"

}{}{}{

Finally evening arrived and camp was being set up. Laxus was growing tired of the woods. Why couldn't they take a more civilized route to this woman's estate?

He sighed and plopped down on a fallen log and watched as people bustled about. His eyes locked on the petit blonde as she summoned her bull Spirit once again to collect firewood.

Laxus was more than a little surprised that the kick she had so randomly attacked him with earlier actually hurt. His jaw still throbbed and he knew it would be turning a nice shade of purple by morning. He would never pick on Bickslow when he complained about her kicking him ever again.

He knew she didn't mean it, but it bothered him that once again, she was avoiding him.

A familiar presence settled down next to him. He could feel the smirk aimed his way.

"Hurts, doesn't it?"

Laxus grunted, neither confirming nor denying anything. He said he wouldn't pick on him about it again, but he sure as hell wasn't about to admit out loud that a small blonde had bested him.

Bickslow cackled and followed his line of sight.

"Resorting to stalking now are we?" He asked, amusement evident in his tone.

"Tch. Don't know what you're talking about." The blonde denied, but he didn't look away either.

"Look, man." Bickslow started, turning serious. "You are my oldest friend, my best friend actually-"

Laxus groaned.

"Shut up. I don't get mushy often, so hear me out."

When Laxus remained silent, he continued. "Anyway, like I was saying you're my best friend. I've never seen you act this way toward a chick before. And I think it's about damn time you found some happiness. Hey shut it! I'm not done."

The blonde grumbled quietly, but let his friend continue. Bickslow wasn't serious often, but when he wasn't being a total pervert he actually gave some damn good advice.

"I know you think you're happy with your life as it is right now, but I think you're wrong. You were happy when you found Gramps again, and you've been content ever since. But that's _all_ you've been since. And I think you've been content for so long that you've accepted that it's the best you're going to get." Bickslow sighed. "All I'm saying, is that if you like her, or you think you like her, you should just talk to her. It could turn into something really great, but you'll never know unless you do something about it."

Laxus thought about it. Really thought about it and realized his friend was right. He vaguely felt the Seith mage clap him on the back and leave his side to join the others.

The last time he was happy, truly happy, was when he saw his grandpa for the first time after the guild disbanded. Then as things went back to normal and life remained good, he just stuck with it. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that something was missing.

Stormy blue eyes refocused on the lithe figure standing alone by the newly lit fire. The light of the fire made her hair glow a warm shade of gold. He watched as Ever walked to her and started up a conversation. Only the side of her face was visible, but he could see the curve of her pink lips as she talked. The way she threw her head back as she laughed at something the brunette said. He saw how several people turned to smile at the sound.

And as he watched, he wondered.

Maybe.

Laxus spent the rest of the night going over every thought he had of the Celestial Spirit mage of Fairy Tail.

}{}{}{

 _It was dark. Too dark._

 _She didn't know where she was or how she got there._

" _Hello?" She croaked._

 _Her throat felt raw, as though she had screamed for hours, and her mouth was so dry her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth._

 _There was no reply. Only the steady dripping of water from somewhere in the room._

 _Her feet were bare and cold, and she bent to rub some warmth back into them, but found she couldn't. Cool metal bit into her aching wrists and the resulting pain in her shoulders made her arms spasm._

 _Fog was slowly lifting from her mind as she realized more and more about her situation._

" _Ever?" She rasped, making her cough._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _She tried to shift her feet so her shoulders and wrists wouldn't take the brunt of her weight, but she was strung up so that her toes barely grazed the frigid stone beneath her._

" _Bix?"_

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _She flexed her hands, grimacing when she realized she couldn't even feel them._

 _Panic slowly gripped her as she wracked her brain for some kind of clue as to how she ended up like this, but she came up empty._

" _F-Freed?"_

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _Her breathing came in short pants as her body finally registered the pain in her ribs. It felt as though she had been kicked repeatedly with steel-toe boots, and then squeezed in some sort of vice._

" _Laxus?" She wheezed a little louder, knowing that if he was near he would hear her and get her out of there._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip_

 _Clang!_

 _Heart thudding wildly, her head whipped to where the noise came from._

" _Laxus!" She tried to shout. "I-I'm here!"_

 _She strained her ears for any sign that he was coming. She knew he was coming. She just knew._

 _He would always come for her._

 _Clang!_

 _The noise made her flinch, but she couldn't help but sigh in relief. He found her. He would always find her._

 _She waited for what felt like hours._

" _Laxus?" She called, hope rising in her heart._

 _Clang!_

" _Laxus!"_

 _She waited in pained silence, realizing that the sound of dripping water had stopped a while ago, and she almost wished it would start again. Anything was better than the deafening silence._

 _Clang!_

" _Laxus?" She whispered, her voice cracking._

 _Something ghosted up her thigh, feathering over her hip and up the side of her breast. And she realized she was only in her undergarments._

 _She whimpered as fear turned her blood to ice, feathering touches continuing over her body and face._

 _This wasn't right. Laxus would've gotten her down and out of this place the minute he found her. He would've spoken to her. Reassured her that everything was alright._

 _Where was he?_

 _Tears stung her eyes and trailed down her cheeks, the saltwater burning open wounds she didn't know she had._

" _La-Laxus." She sobbed._

 _Hot air breathed into her ear and her body went rigid at the sound of a deep throaty chuckle that definitely didn't belong to the blonde Dragon Slayer._

 _Large fingers brushed the tears from her cheeks and she hissed as they grazed a tender wound._

" _Sorry to disappoint you, little girl. Dragon boy ain't coming to save you this time." A deep, raspy voice drawled._

 _She flinched as his loud voice cut through the suffocating silence._

" _Wh-who are y-you? Why are y-you doing th-this?" She managed to stutter out._

 _Loud boisterous laugher echoed in the dark room, leaving her ears ringing._

" _Silly little girl." He crooned. Large hands pet her head and she shuddered. "I've got a message for you."_

 _She waited for him to continue, not trusting herself to speak without breaking out into hysterics._

 _The hands left her head and she stopped herself from sighing in relief. She didn't want to anger him._

 _It was quiet for so long she thought he had left, until hot fingers traced a familiar pattern just under her collarbones, and she whimpered at the unwanted touch._

 _The hot breath returned to her ear and she tried to cringe away from it, but it only followed her._

" _You're next." He whispered._

 _Before she could ask what he meant, she felt the coolness of a blade press against her throat for the briefest of moments, before white-hot pain seared through her flesh._

 _Molten liquid streamed down her chilled body._

 _Laugher echoed through the dark again as she cried out in agony, choking on metallic bitterness as it dribbled out of her mouth._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _Clang!_

 _The laugher faded from the room, bathing her in silence as she suffocated, writhing in agony._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _She could no longer support her head, a gurgled wheeze leaving her as her head tipped backward and pulled at her slit throat._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

 _The room began to sway, and she closed her eyes, accepting that her story ended here._

 _She pictured his face as he smiled a real smile. Not a grin, or a smirk. A real smile. And she couldn't help but smile herself._

 _Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

Lucy shot up and out of her cot with a strangled cry, clutching at her throat.

She looked around frantically as her heart thundered in her chest, regretting her agreement for her team to sleep in the far corners surrounding their camp.

She was alone.

Her grip on her own throat was so tight she could hardly breathe, but she couldn't make herself let go as she sobbed.

It felt so real. The pain. The hotness of his breath and the biting cold of the stone floor. The blade. Everything.

Warm arms engulfed her and her hands strangled the scream in her throat.

"Hey, hey. It's me, Blondie. It's ok. You're ok."

The Celestial mage's body relaxed slightly, but her hands remained where they were.

It was getting harder to breathe, but she couldn't let go. She was afraid that if she did, the wound would reappear and she would bleed out.

She was afraid it would become real.

}{}{}{

Laxus was startled out of his sleep from a strange sound from one of the far corners of their camp. He sat up and closed his eyes, focusing his heightened senses on the surrounding area.

He had wanted to stay up and keep watch, but between not sleeping the night before and the beers he ended up knocking back with Bickslow and Simon, he had little choice if he wanted to be of any use in the event of an attack. Freed had set up a runic barrier around them that would alert him to anyone entering the camp in case it didn't wake Laxus up first.

He could tell dawn was a few hours away from the sound of various birds starting to sing in the trees surrounding them. His hearing picked up the frantic beating of someone's heart and when the sound of muffled sobs reached him, he was out of his cot and running in an instant.

Twigs and rocks under his bare feet went ignored as he dashed to the one corner where he knew she was. The smell of salt and fear flooded his senses and what he saw when he finally reached her made his heart clench.

The only light was the moon as it filtered through the trees, but with his senses he could still see her clearly.

She was standing by her cot on trembling legs. Her shoulders shook, and her eyes were wide as they searched her surroundings frantically.

Without thinking, he rushed to her and pulled her into his chest. Wincing as she flinched and let out a warbled scream. He tried to soothe her and felt some of the tension in her back leave her, but she still trembled.

He cursed when her knees buckled and helped her to the ground with his arms still wrapped securely around her trembling frame. She was freezing.

"What happened?" He whispered, not wanting to startle her any more.

There was no answer, only strained gasps and cries.

"Lucy?"

He frowned when no reply came again, and pulled away just enough to look at her.

Laxus gasped when he realized she was choking herself.

"Shit! Lucy, you have to stop!" He grabbed her icy fingers to pull them away and grunted at her surprisingly strong grip.

"Lucy," He whispered more urgently. "You have to let go."

Finally managing to pry her hands off her throat, the Dragon Slayer sighed in relief when he heard her lungs greedily suck in air.

He kept both of her small hands in one of his own and he started rubbing her back.

"What happened?" He tried not to make it sound like a demand and winced when it did anyway.

"It…he…I c-couldn't…" She rasped in between pants.

"If I let go of your hands, you have to promise not to hurt yourself anymore, ok?"

He sighed and released her hands when she nodded slowly, moving to rub some warmth back into her arms.

It was quiet for a moment as she started to calm down. At some point, he got tired of kneeling and scooped her up to sit on her cot with her on his lap.

"Are you ready to talk about it now?" Laxus asked quietly and felt her nod into his chest.

He tensed as her arms wound around his neck and her head burrowed under his chin, but relaxed and continued to rub circles over her thin shirt.

She took a deep breath, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop the moan from escaping as her hot breath fanned over his Adam's apple.

Laxus listened as she spoke, recounting the dream in as much detail as she could. The longer he listened, the tighter his arms wound around her. When she got to the part where her throat was slit and how she felt everything like it was real, he shuddered at the chill that ran down his spine.

"But before he slit my throat, he said something." She whispered thoughtfully. "I know it was something important, but I can't remember what he said."

Laxus sighed. "If it was something important, I'm sure you'd remember."

Lucy was quiet for a moment before she shifted in his lap to look at him.

"You're probably right, but I can't shake the feeling that it was really important." She said quietly.

He wanted to respond, he really did, but he couldn't help but stare at her.

Laxus could see, even in the low lighting, that her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying. Her hair that was pulled up into a messy bun, was mostly loose and hanging limply off to the side. He knew that she looked like a complete mess, but he couldn't help but notice how absolutely breathtaking she still was.

How perfectly she fit against him. How her scent, even while it was still laden with salt, filled him with an indescribable warmth.

Before he could stop himself, he was leaning forward. His hand slid up her back to cup the side of her face. He saw her dark eyes widen as his lips brushed against hers before they fluttered shut.

Kissing her was…liberating. His own eyes slid shut when he felt her soft lips move shyly against his own.

It was different, kissing her. Laxus had kissed many women before, but it was always a means to an end. The action meaning nothing more than the quick romp with a woman he would never think of again.

But this…this kiss had _purpose_. It was soft and sweet. There was no rush. No mad dash to find release. All that mattered was the woman who had hijacked his brain so effortlessly.

He had never kissed like this before.

Laxus wasn't sure how long they stayed that way. Even though he never wanted it to end, his lips reluctantly left hers and he pulled her head into his chest.

' _Talk to her, dumbass.'_

Mentally grumbling at his conscience, which sounded a lot like Bickslow at the moment, he laid back on her cot while keeping her secure on top of him.

She squeaked in surprise, clearly not expecting the action. "Wh-what are you doing?"

He chuckled. "Just getting comfortable. We still have a bit of walking to do in a few hours."

Lucy huffed and craned her neck to glare at him, but there was no heat in the gesture. "I get that, but who said you could get comfortable in my cot? You have your own!"

The Dragon Slayer sighed and pushed her head back into his chest. She really was a sassy little thing.

"Oh quit your yapping, Blondie. I'm not going anywhere. I'm sticking by my girl."

She sputtered. "Who the hell said I was your girl?!"

He shrugged. "I did."

The blonde woman struggled to raise her head, but he just kept her there. Giving up, she gave an exasperated growl and slumped against him. "Don't I get a say in this, light socket?" She hissed.

Laxus bit his cheek to quell his laughter, but his shaking shoulders must have betrayed him as he was rewarded with a smack.

"That's a new one." He mused. "But to answer your question, nope."

"That's…you…grrrr." She seethed.

' _Dude. You really suck at this.'_

He heaved a sigh and tried to prepare himself for something that made him so very uncomfortable. Talking about himself. Mushy feelings shit.

"Look…" He whispered, and the blonde in his arms instantly stilled. "I'm really, _really_ bad at saying stuff like this. Feelings and shit. But…"

"But what?" She whispered back.

They lay in silence for a few moments as he tried to summon the words that would appropriately describe how he felt about all of this.

He appreciated how Lucy stayed quiet and patient, as if she understood how difficult this was for him.

"But I can't seem to stop thinking about you." He finally continued, and the verbal damn he didn't know existed broke. "That has never happened before. All I've ever been interested in was a good lay, I won't lie to you about that. I've never looked twice at a woman. Never thought about more than a fun night whenever the urge would strike. But then you, literally, just waltzed right into my life. Walked right in out of nowhere, and I haven't thought of anything else since. I didn't get it at first. I saw your body, and yeah of course I'd want some of that. I'd be questioning my sexuality if I didn't.

"It's about more than that, though. I'd always find myself thinking about the things you would do or say. The way everyone seems to brighten up around you, even if you're not the one they're talking to. I found myself wondering what made you change almost constantly. To be honest, it was driving me a little crazy. Then after you told me what happened, I couldn't stop thinking about how strong you were and how the hell I'd never noticed before.

"So, to end this impromptu and more than slightly embarrassing monologue, I guess what I'm asking is if you'd be my girl. Of course you have a choice, but don't for a second think I'd quit trying to win you over." Laxus finally finished, his heart beating rapidly and hit entire face burning hot.

He really hadn't meant to just pour his entire fucking heart out to the girl. But once his mouth opened, it just stayed open like it had a mind of its own.

Internally banging his head repeatedly against the nearest tree, Laxus tried to will his heart to slow the fuck down while Lucy mulled over his words.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when she finally spoke.

"I want to, Laxus. I really want to say yes because to be as honest with you as you were with me, I've been thinking about you more often than not as well." She said quietly, shifting slightly to get more comfortable.

His heart dropped to his stomach when he sensed the 'but' he just knew was coming.

"But… we don't really know each other."

Laxus tensed, preparing himself for rejection. He didn't really know how he'd handle it, and he really hoped he wouldn't turn into an asshole about it. Women never really rejected him, so this was yet another first the blonde was about to give him.

However, his stupid mouth decided to speak on its own accord for the second time that day.

"We could learn as we go. I just feel like it could be really great if we gave…whatever this is between us…a shot. I know I'm a stubborn ass the majority of the time, and I don't really know how to be a boyfriend. But I'd try. I'll really try if you'd give me a chance."

It was quiet again for a few, painful, moments while she thought. Even if she ended up saying no, he knew he wouldn't give up easily. He'd just said it himself that he was stubborn. Laxus never realized just how stubborn he was until now. It had taken way too long to figure out how he felt about her. Hell, even when he was a complete monster he noticed her. Sure it was just lust at the time, and he'd only said what he did to piss Mira off, but he did. And now here he was years later, over a decade later if he counted the time-skip, and only now was he accepting the fact that he felt something for her.

' _Maybe I should work on that…'_ he thought to himself as he looked up at the few stars he could spot through the branches.

"Okay."

Laxus gazed back down at the woman on his chest, only to completely blank when he saw that she was smiling softly at him.

"…Huh?" Was his brilliant response. His mouth had apparently gone back to being under his own control.

She giggled at his dumbfounded expression and nodded. "Okay, Laxus. I'll be your girl."

He blinked at her. "Really?"

"Really. As long as you understand that I'm not ready to be intimate with you right away. And if you're ok with having a girlfriend that has a ton of emotional baggage at the moment." She said with a light blush.

"Tch. I'd be a damn hypocrite if I didn't want to be with you because you've got some emotional damage. No worries there. As for sex and stuff, I already figured that would be the case, and I'm fine with waiting until you're ready for it." And he was. He'd really miss sex, that much was true, but it was about damn time for some change in his life. Laxus really wanted to know what it was like being with someone he actually cared about. So if he had to wait a bit, he would.

The Celestial Spirit mage laid her head back down and curled up on his chest. His hand came to rest against her hip, while he wrapped his other arm around her waist.

"So…we're a couple now." She said a moment later. He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Damn right, Blondie." He grinned.

"Dammit, Laxus. You're blonde, too!" She whined, and smacked him when she felt him shake with laughter.

}{}{}{

 _Click!_

"Ha! Payback's a bitch!"

Lucy jerked awake to find Evergreen leaning over her with an almost evil grin, camera in hand, Bickslow and Freed on either side of her mirroring her expression.

"What?" she mumbled sleepily, lazily eyeing the flurry of birds that burst from the trees around them, not fully comprehending what was going on.

There was an annoyed half growl half groan beneath her and she nearly screamed before remembering what had happened during the night.

Face growing hot, Lucy buried her face into the grumpy Dragon Slayer's chest.

"Jesus Ever, could you be any more obnoxious?" He grumbled, wrapping his arms more securely around her and clearly not embarrassed in the least.

The thought made her smile softly and nuzzle into his shirt a little more. He wasn't embarrassed to be seen with her like this. Sure it wasn't the first time they'd woken up together, but this time it was intentional.

It was one of the things she'd worried about the most when she agreed to be his girlfriend. He was Laxus Dreyar. The man beat a Wizard Saint and took down an entire dark guild by himself for crying out loud! And she was just the weakest link of the most destructive team in the guild. She was afraid that he'd want to hide it, or that he'd think being with her would tarnish his reputation. In all honesty, she was still a little worried about it. His team was different, closer to him, but would he hide their relationship from everyone else once they returned home?

"You know what? I probably could, so don't test me." She heard the Fairy mage snap playfully.

Laxus sighed heavily, the action causing her head to rise and fall with his chest and she giggled.

"So…you guys like _together_ now or somethin'?" Bickslow asked. She couldn't see his face, but she thought he sounded a little smug.

There was a beat of silence, and Lucy remained silent in hope of him laying part of her insecurities to rest. She wanted to see what he would say.

"Yeah. You guys have a problem with it? Too damn bad." Laxus finally responded, and her smile widened when she felt his thumb start rubbing slow circles over her hip.

When they burst into laughter, Lucy finally lifted her head to look at them in surprise.

"What's so funny?" She asked cautiously.

Bickslow finally calmed enough and looked knowingly at the two.

"Don't fucking say it, Bix." Laxus groaned.

Ignoring him, Bickslow cackled and shot them a thumbs up. "It's about damn time, boss man!"

Regaining his composure, Freed straightened and smirked at them. "Now, if you two are done cuddling, it's time to have some breakfast and get ready for another day of traveling. We are taking extra precautions today, as it is the last opportunity an attack could take place. Bickslow has already sent his totems to scout ahead, and I have already started writing protective runes on the carriage. Which I need to go finish."

The Rune mage threw them one last smirk before leaving the group.

"You heard the man. Rise and shine, love birds!" Bickslow cackled before turning to leave as well.

As soon as his back was turned, Lucy felt static in the air for a split second before the Seith mage shrieked and took off running.

She looked at her boyfriend with a raised brow. He had his eyes closed and was grumbling about 'nosy good for nothing bastards.'

"Was there something else, Ever?" He sighed.

The brunette giggled excitedly. "No, I just wanted to watch the new couple for a little longer." The static in the air rose again. "Ok fine! Kill my joy! I'm going!" She huffed, following the others.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh at their interactions sometimes. They all acted like a bunch of siblings. Annoying the crap out of each other all the time, but you could tell how much they cared for one another. It was nice.

A pair of stormy blue eyes opened at the sound of her laughter.

"What's so funny, Blondie?" He asked, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"You guys are just so cute." She giggled at his dumbfounded expression.

"Really? You think the Thunder Legion is _cute_?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yep!" She chirped, popping the 'p'.

He stared at her for another moment before chuckling and sitting up, keeping her in his lap.

"You're insane." Laxus poked her nose.

She looked at his finger on her nose for a moment and Laxus laughed loudly.

"What?"

Still chuckling, he shook his head. "Nothing cross-eyes, let's get moving."

}{}{}{

The day started out the same as the other two. Except for the fact that Laxus refused to walk anywhere else but next to Lucy. She often found herself tucked into his side with his arm around her shoulders or their fingers intertwined between them.

Evergreen took it upon herself to take pictures of the new couple every chance she had. She wanted to 'preserve the beginning of their love so that when they were old farts they could look back and reminisce about the days when they were hotties' and that they'd thank her someday.

Virgo only popped out once, offering to store their bags and supplies in the Spirit World so they wouldn't have to worry about it if they had to fight. Everyone jumped at the offer. Other than that, none of her Spirits popped out or were called for the time being. They were aware that she wanted to preserve her magic so she would have enough just in case.

After lunch the group resumed their journey, eager to drop off the now very well-mannered (sulking) Nathanial so they could return home.

Lucy was pointedly ignoring the fact that her feet were starting to ache terribly. She refused to call on Horologium to carry her, even if he offered through their connection several times.

She didn't want the others to think she couldn't handle something as simple as walking, and she had walked farther distances before. If she ignored it, she could worry about it later.

Apparently, Laxus was paying close attention.

Damn Dragon Slayers.

"You ok, Blondie?" He asked, looking down at her in concern.

She threw him a bright smile and nodded. "Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Laxus rolled his eyes and sighed. "Spill it."

"Don't know what you're talking about!" She chirped, wincing internally as she skipped a little ahead of him.

He easily matched her pace in a few strides. "Tch. Think I'm stupid? I keep catching you wincing or walking stiffly. So what's up?"

Lucy huffed and hugged her arms around her middle, glaring at the innocent ground.

"It's really not a big deal."

A hand on her shoulder stopped her walking, while another hand gently pulled her chin up so she could look him in the eye.

"Hey. If something is bothering you, you should let me know. Even if you think it's stupid or no big deal. I'll do my best to listen and help if I can. Isn't that what a boyfriend is supposed to do?" He said softly, yet sternly letting her know he was serious.

Lucy didn't stand a chance against the tone he was using and felt her heart melt a little.

"My feet hurt." She mumbled in resignation, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Laxus grinned. "I can fix that."

He turned around and crouched down, peering at her over his shoulder. "Hop on."

"No, it's ok. Really. I can just power through it." She said.

"Lucy, just shut up and get on my back."

"Aye!" She mock saluted, before grabbing hold of his shoulders, his hands coming to grip her thighs.

She giggled as he stood and quickly caught back up to the carriage, ignoring how a certain Fairy mage snapped picture after picture.

"Huh. So this is what it's like being freakishly tall." She mused.

"Oh shut it." He said despite his obvious amusement.

Lucy really did enjoy the new view. Not only could she see farther down the path, she also got a closer glimpse of Nathanial pouting from the carriage window.

Yeah, she could definitely live with this.

Another thing caught her eye, and without thinking she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Woah, I didn't expect your hair to be so soft!" She gasped.

She ran her fingers through again, cocking her head to the side in thought.

"Laxus?"

"Yeah?"

"How does your hair stand up like this without any product?" She asked, confused.

He shrugged, jostling her in the process. "Think about it."

She pouted, but complied, continuously running her fingers through his soft blond locks.

Never in her life had she felt more stupid. For the next hour, the answer seemed to be at the tip of her tongue but she could never grasp it.

Finally it came to her.

"Oh! Its-ahhh!"

Pain flared from her back and she would've fallen off in shock if Laxus hadn't whirled around, somehow setting her gently on the ground behind him in the process.

"How the fuck didn't I hear them coming!?" He growled, lightning sparking around his fists.

Peeking around his legs, Lucy spotted a large group emerging from the trees from behind the carriage.

She glanced behind her and grimaced at the long arrow protruding from just under her shoulder blade.

At the sound of more arrows firing, Lucy rose on shaky legs, readying her Fleuve d'étoiles and grabbing a key from her belt.

"Open, gate of the Archer, Sagittarius!" She called.

"Moshi. Moshi." The Spirit bowed.

"Sagittarius, I need you to take out whoever is shooting those arrows and keep them from hitting us, ok?"

Seeing her Spirit get serious and ready his bow, Lucy turned back to face the approaching mages.

"Why the hell did they send so many?" She wondered aloud.

"They probably knew we were comi-hey you're bleeding!" Laxus cut himself off and looked down at her worriedly.

She sighed. "Yeah, can you just pull it out quick? I'll worry about it later."

"Jesus Lucy. There's a fucking arrow in your back!" He hissed, glaring at the offending piece of wood.

"I know." She deadpanned. "Just pull it out quick. They're getting closer."

When he hesitated, she smacked his arm. "Just do it! Don't worry about me so much. I'm a big girl."

"This is going to hurt like a son of a bitch." He warned, reaching around and grabbing it.

"I know." Lucy clenched her fists into his shirt.

"Sorry!" He yelled at her cry of pain as he ripped it out. She felt warmth trickle down her back.

After taking a few deep breaths, Lucy steadied herself and stood up straight.

"Ok. Thanks. Now what's the plan?"

Laxus eyed her for a moment. "Our main objective is keeping Nathanial out of harm's way. Our best bet is to get him out of here and far away as quickly as possible. We need to distract them from getting to him or noticing him leaving. Any ideas?"

She thought for a moment before pulling out one of the silver keys she'd acquired over the last two years.

"Open, Gate of the Winged Horse, Pegasus!"

The white glittering smoke cleared, revealing a large white horse. His wings were tucked against his body as he bowed respectively to her.

"What can I assist you with today, Princess?" He asked, his voice a deep baritone.

She felt Laxus's eyes on her, but ignored him. "I need you to take our client and his driver to our destination at full speed. His driver can give you directions, but we need our client out of the way and kept safe. Is that ok?"

He whinnied in acceptance.

"I'll go get them, wait here and don't take off fighting without me." Laxus demanded and took off to get Nathanial.

Lucy huffed and glared in the direction he went. This was another thing she had been worried about. She didn't want him fighting all of her battles for her. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Just because they were now dating, didn't mean he could just take charge like this.

There was a pained shout in the distance and she heard Sagittarius tell her his target had been shot down before he took his leave.

Lucy tapped her foot in annoyance. The stubborn streak in her wanting to do the exact opposite of what she was told.

Seeing the other members of her team, plus the guards charge at the mages was the final straw.

Telling Pegasus to wait for Laxus and the others, she took off after them.

A slither of guilt coiled in her gut, but she pushed it down. He couldn't tell her what to do!

Lucy called out Loke and Capricorn and pushed magic into her Fleuve d'étoiles.

The trio worked in practiced harmony. Lucy flung mage after mage into nearby trees or into her Spirit's attacks.

Pegasus told her he was on the move, and she knew that meant Laxus knew she had ignored his order.

A punch to the gut snapped her back into focus and she went sprawling to her back.

Flicking her wrist, her whip coiled around her attacker's neck and she sent him sailing into Loke's Regulus Punch.

Large hands gripped her arms and hoisted her up.

"What the fuck did I tell you, Blondie?" He growled, electrocuting almost all of the mages circling us at once.

"And what did I tell you earlier! I'm a big girl! If we're going to be in a relationship you need to understand that I refuse to stand behind and be protected or coddled. I will not be ordered around, Laxus Dreyar." She said hotly, snapping another mage across the face.

The mage cursed and clutched at his nose, distracted by the sudden pain. Capricorn took him out with a simple punch to the face.

Laxus sighed. "Ok, I get it. I'm sorry. I've never been in a relationship before, remember? Worrying about you is different than worrying about my team or gramps, and I don't really know how to handle it without sounding like a demanding ass. I'll try not to order you around, you just need to understand that I'm more than a little overprotective of the people I care about."

An odd tingling sensation pricked at her back but she ignore it, 'Lucy Kicking' a woman in the face that tried coming at her with a blade.

"Ok, Laxus. I'm sorry I just took off."

"Can you guys have this conversation later? If you couldn't tell, we're kind of in the middle of a battle!" Loke yelled, narrowly avoiding a boiling stream of purple liquid.

"Right." The blondes said at the same time.

They fought side by side. The entire time, the tingling sensation spread through her back and chest. Only when it had spread to her arms and thighs did Lucy realize she had a problem.

"Shit!" She cursed as her body stopped seized and she fell to the ground.

"Lucy! You ok?" She heard Laxus call out to her.

"Laxus! Find the Archer. That arrow was definitely laced with something!" She called out hurriedly as her lips grew stiff and her vision grew hazy.

Relief washed over her when she heard Pegasus telling her they made it to the estate.

Not even a moment later, she felt all three Gates close and heard Laxus curse.

And then everything went dark.

 **Sooo. They're a thing now! I was very stupid when I said this chapter should be easier. Totally jinxed myself. I'm sitting here like, how the hell am I going to fit all of what I have planned into one chapter?**

 **It finally hit me today. Make it have two parts! So next chapter will be 'The Snap: Part Two.'**

 **The deal with Pegasus is simple. It's entirely realistic that Lucy picked up a few more keys after the guild disbanded and after it reformed. I won't make her have a bajillion new ones. Maybe just a few, plus the key she gets as a reward for their current mission.**

 **Also! Yay for almost 400 followers!**

 **Until next time!**


	10. The Snap: Part Two

**Sorry that this is so short! A lot is going on right now, but I will try to make it up next chapter.**

 **I felt like I needed to post at least a little bit of something for you guys.**

 **Either way, I hope you like it! See you next time.**

Both Spirits vanished and Laxus cursed.

Throwing a lightning charged punch into a man's gut, he chanced a glance at his girlfriend.

She was sprawled out on the ground, face down. Completely immobile.

If it weren't for the fact that he could hear the steady beating of her heart, Laxus would fear the worst.

That didn't mean he wasn't panicking, however. His dream and the description of Lucy's dream the night before still lingered in his mind, and now that she was his, now that he had taken a huge risk and opened up to someone, seeing that person like this terrified him. Seeing her so still and vulnerable in the midst of battle terrified him.

Lightning coursed through his veins, charging the area around his body dangerously as his thoughts revolved around one thing.

"Protect her. Save her. GET HER OUT OF HERE."

The remaining dark mages that still surrounded them paused as every strand of hair on their bodies stood on end.

Laxus lightning teleported to stand next to Lucy and inhaled as deeply as his lungs would allow.

"LIGHTNING DRAGON'S ROAR!" The attack burst from his lips in a violent current as he turned his body, making sure to get every single mage standing.

After the last bolt left him, he stood there panting, honing all of his senses on the area around him to make sure no one else was heading his way. When he was sure no one other than the twitching mass of bodies on the ground was near, he scooped up his companion's prone form and took off at a dead run towards his team's scent.

It took much longer than he preferred, though if he could have it his way Lucy would never have been hit with anything at all, but they eventually found the mage responsible for her predicament.

Freed had opted to stay behind and set up runes to keep the dark mages confined until they were able to contact the Rune Knights for pickup. Luckily, by the time Laxus had found the rest of his team, they were finishing up their own fights.

Laxus was sure he would take immense pleasure in the state they found the mage in later, but all he could think about was the woman he held close to his chest.

"Ha! Seems like Cheerleader's Spirits really don't like her being messed with!" Bickslow cackled.

Laxus had to agree. The woman looked to be middle aged, with shoulder length brown hair that was streaked with grey. She was resting against a tree, unconscious. Almost all of her body was covered by dark, layered clothing. The only deeply tanned skin showing was her face and hands. And her hands…

One hand was pinned to the tree above her head by an arrow, while the other was pinned to the earth, her own bow on the ground near it.

It looked like she had passed out from the pain.

"Wake up." Evergreen growled, kicking her foot.

The dark mage jolted, a scream tearing from her throat when her movement jarred her wounded hands.

Laxus stood back as Evergreen took charge. He knew that she would take care of this with little to no problem. When someone hurt the guild, it was one thing. But when someone hurt the few she held closest to her heart, there would be hell to pay.

The Fairy mage bent over, grabbing a fist full of the woman's shirt. "What did you poison your arrows with?" She demanded.

His eyes narrowed as the woman began cackling madly at the sight of the Celestial mage in his arms.

"Oh no! Poor little blonde bimbo." She crooned with mock concern, shaking her head. "Such a pretty thing. What a waste."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Laxus growled lowly.

Before she could respond, Evergreen yanked her forward, causing her to howl in agony as her hands pulled against the arrows that kept them there.

"Tell us how to fix it. Now!" She snarled.

"You can't!" She panted. "She'll be gone before the sun goes down."

Laxus stilled, no longer hearing the words pouring out of Ever and Bickslow's mouths.

He watched the dark mage carefully. All of her expressions. The look in her obsidian eyes.

Stroking Lucy's cheek gently, he lowered her to the ground and silently took Ever's place in front of the woman.

He towered over her. "Bullshit."

She beamed up at him. "Aw you must be her little boy toy. Too bad you'll-unnnggg."

Electricity coursed through her body, and she convulsed violently for a few moments.

"Tell us how to fix it. Now." His voice sounded calm, and the mages standing behind him shuddered, knowing exactly what he was like when his rage reached this level.

"I t-told you- gahhh." He upped the voltage.

"This is the last chance you have. Then I stop being friendly." He threatened darkly.

She audibly gulped. "You should say your goodbyes now before- ok! Ok! Fine!" She screamed as the air around her began to crackle.

Laxus's expression never wavered as he stared her down.

Her body slumped, head hanging low. "The poison is of my own creation. Slow acting. First it acts as a paralytic. Then it stops each organ one at a time. It's really all by chance. You never really know which one is next, which one will be the fatal blow. I named it Roulette for that very reason." If he wasn't waiting for her to spill how to fix this, he would've incapacitated her right then and there for sounding so smug.

"Really, she is lucky to have survived this long. The antidote is in a vial in my boot. Now. I helped you, so we're even. Let me go and-" She convulsed violently before her eyes rolled back and she fell against the tree, unconscious once again.

Laxus ripped the thin leather of her boot, deciding any other way of removal to be a waste of time, and snatched the vial. It was long and thin, held in place by a small hidden pocket, and filled with a bright magenta colored liquid.

He wasted no time, moving quickly to kneel beside Lucy's prone form and ripping the cork out with his teeth.

One hand cradled her neck and head supportively, tilting her head back slightly until her mouth opened on its own.

Slowly and with great caution, he brought the vial to her pale lips, pouring the smallest amounts he could manage at a time to slide down her throat without her choking on it.

All of this was done in complete silence. No one dared to speak and ruin the intense concentration of their leader and closest friend.

Once the vial was emptied, Laxus found himself staring intently at her face watching for any sign that the antidote was working.

After two of the longest minutes he had ever experienced in his life, he watched as her skin started to lose its pallor and pink dusted her cheeks.

The Dragon Slayer's entire body sagged in relief, the breath he didn't realize he had been holding leaving him in a large whoosh.

He closed his eyes for a moment before lifting her back into his arms and rising to his feet.

"I think it's working, but I want to get back home as soon as possible to make sure there isn't any damage." He said to his team.

They all let out breaths of relief and nodded their agreements.

"You go on ahead and get her to Wendy. We'll go to the estate to collect the reward and take the next train back." Evergreen said, shooing him away with her hands.

Not needing to be told twice, Laxus took a few steps back and gathered his magic around him. He would have to make at least two stops before reaching the guild, so with that thought in mind, he let his lightning pour from him. With a deafening crack of thunder, they were gone.

"Still asleep?"

Laxus turned in his chair to face the voice at the door.

"Yeah." He sighed.

Wendy eyed him for a moment, before giving him a small smile and moving to stand by the bed.

"Well I'll check her over again. Why don't you go downstairs? Mira made dinner and it smells amazing. You haven't eaten anything since you got back, so I know you must be hungry." She said while her hands began to glow a soft green.

Laxus shook his head. "I'm fine."

It took him less than a half hour to get back to the guild. The moment he walked through the doors with an unconscious Lucy and called for Wendy, Mira had dropped the full plate she was about to hand to Droy. Levy and Wendy had shot up from their seats and were on his heels in an instant as he made his way to the infirmary, Gajeel and his Exceed right behind them.

It took the young Dragon Slayer a little over two hours to fix the damage done by the poison. Lucy had been extremely lucky to have someone who could teleport nearby. There was extensive damage to both of her kidneys, her stomach, her liver, and from what Wendy said it looked like, her heart would've been next.

He had half a mind to go back and beat that bitch to a pulp. But he didn't. Now knowing how close of a call it had been, Laxus refused to leave her side. He knew he would get a lot of shit from his Gramps. Hell, he could hear Mira going on about their future children from all the way up here. But he couldn't muster up the energy to give a shit. He planned to announce their relationship to the guild when they got back anyway, so he didn't really care if rumors were spreading like wildfire. All he really cared about was Lucy waking up and being ok.

The sound of a barely concealed yawn broke him from his thoughts.

"Everything is still good. She just needs rest. If she doesn't wake up tonight, she will definitely wake up tomorrow morning."

Laxus nodded, his eyes softening at the sight of the exhausted Dragon Slayer stifling another yawn.

"You did good, kid. Go home and get some sleep." He said, standing up to lead her to the door and ruffling her hair.

"Ok, Laxus. But I want you to get some food and rest." She said in a tone that said he better or else.

It amazed him, sometimes. Wendy was usually so shy and timid. But when it came to someone's health or well-being, she was self-assured and confident. He knew without a doubt that if she would be this confident about herself and her abilities all of the time, she would become a force to be reckoned with.

Laxus nodded, but didn't voice his agreement. In all honestly, even though he knew she was all healed up, he didn't want to leave her. He wanted to be there when she woke up.

As if sensing his hesitance, Wendy gave him a small smile. "I'll have Mira send some dinner up for you, just make sure you eat it and rest." And with another yawn, she left the infirmary.

Laxus shook his head and chuckled at the girl's antics, yet he was grateful for her insightfulness. Now that he wasn't so stressed over Lucy's condition, he was realizing just how hungry he really was.

With a heavy sigh, he eased himself back into the chair next to her bed to wait for his meal.

Not even ten minutes later, Mira waltzed in with a tray filled with steaming plates and a mug of beer. She set it down on the small table next to him, then turned to give him one of the creepiest grins he had ever seen.

"What?" He grunted, unable to suppress a shudder.

She hummed and started twirling a strand of her hair. "Oh nothing…"

Laxus knew there was definitely something, but whatever it was he really didn't want to know. Not with the look on her face and the gleam in her eyes.

So he nodded and reached for his mug, taking a long sip of the amber liquid.

"It's just…Master wants to know when you two will be giving him great-grandbabies, and I want to know as well."

Laxus inhaled sharply, spluttering and hacking as he had accidentally inhaled his drink.

Mira just stood there, smiling innocently, like she hadn't just almost caused his premature death.

Finally able to breath, he glared venomously at the barmaid.

She didn't even blink. "Well?"

"Well what?" He barked.

Mira flung her hands into the air in exasperation. "The babies, Laxus! The babies!"

His hand slapped to his forehead and slid down his face. He knew this was coming, he really did. He just didn't expect it to happen while his brand new girlfriend was unconscious in the guild's infirmary. Although, he couldn't help but be just a tad bit grateful that she was out cold at the moment. Actually, he was a little jealous.

"For fuck's sake, Mira." He sighed. "You're the first person to know besides my team, but yes, Lucy and I are together. I asked her to be my girl on our job. We haven't even been together for a week, so I will say this once. I will not be discussing _babies_ with you, or anyone besides Lucy if the conversation ever comes up in the future. I will not be pressured into having children, and I will be damned if I let Lucy get pressured into it either."

Mira's glare softened into a gentle smile and she nodded. "Alright, Laxus. I am so happy for you two, and I'll try to tone it down."

Laxus nodded curtly, taking a cautious sip of his beer. "Thanks."

The barmaid left with a bright smile on her face, and Laxus tucked into his meal.

After he ate and set his tray outside the door, he settled back into his chair. Exhaustion hit him like a magic vehicle, and he leaned over to rest his head on the bed. The last thing he remembered before sleep took him, was reaching over and taking hold of one of his girlfriend's small hands.

Laxus woke sometime during the night to the feeling of cool fingers sifting through his hair.

A sound somewhat akin to a purr involuntarily left him, and an answering giggle had him sitting upright and staring into amused brown eyes.

"Did you just purr?"

"Uhh… no?"

Bright peals of laughter erupted from his girlfriend, and he couldn't help but laugh with her.

When they settled down, he got up and scooted her over on the bed enough for him to slide in next to her.

He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her, grinning at her squeak of surprise.

"L-Laxus, what are you doing?" she stuttered.

He didn't answer her question, instead choosing to nuzzle his face into her hair.

"I'm really glad you're ok." He whispered.

Lucy relaxed into his embrace and sighed. "Sorry for causing so much trouble."

Laxus gave her a little squeeze and chuckled. "Don't worry about it. You wouldn't be Lucy Heartfilia if you didn't always get into some sort of trouble."

He felt her sag a little. "Yeah…it always seems to find me, doesn't it?" She said dejectedly.

Laxus pulled away and guided her by her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Hey. I didn't mean it like that. It would be one thing if you were always asking for it, but you never do. No one blames you for anything." He smirked. "You're just such a hot item, everyone has to have you. Too bad I've already staked claim."

Lucy snorted and he grinned, happy to have achieved his goal of cheering her up.

"I just hope this is the last bit of trouble that comes my way. At least for a while." She said, her voice both hopeful and pleading.

Laxus cringed internally, knowing that she may not get her wish.

"Yeah." He whispered, "Me too.."

 _Somewhere far away, in a snowy mountain terrain…_

Shannon ran as fast as her brittle bones would allow. The snow was fresh, and not very compacted, causing her feet to sink a few inches with every step.

It was slowing her down, tiring out her already exhausted body.

But she would not, could not, stop.

He was coming.

She could hear his manic laughter as he followed her casually.

Shannon growled. He was toying with her!

Finally, her old body gave out and she fell to the snowy ground in a panting heap.

A small part of her, the part that wasn't terrified for her life, was rather proud that she had made it this far in her old age.

However, she didn't have the time to focus on her accomplishment. She could hear his chuckles as he approached her.

She clutched at her chest, her heart beating raggedly behind her ribs as he crouched down beside her.

"Are you done?" He asked, amused.

"Never!" She spat, thrusting out the silver key she'd had since she was a little girl.

"Open! Gate of the- Nooo!" She cut off with a scream as a heavy booted foot stomped down on her hand. The cracking of bones was audible.

"Now, now Shannon. We can't have that." He bent over and plucked the key from her broken fingers.

"No! Please!" She begged. Her entire body ached, and she couldn't help but question why she lived in this freezing hell. The snow was now melting and seeping into her clothes, sapping away what little body heat she had.

He merely chuckled at her plea, standing back up to inspect the key in his hands.

"Ah, Corvus. I've been wondering when I'd find you." He smiled down at Shannon, and a shiver wholly unrelated to the cold shot down her spine.

"Now what shall I do with you, Shannon?" He brought a hand to his chin in exaggerated thought. "Oh, so many options. I could kill you right now… or I could go get your daughter and make her watch. I believe she has three silver keys of her own, am I right?"

Shannon's eyes widened in horror. She had been running as far away as she could from the home she shared with her daughter, Eliza. Anything to protect her and her three year old son. It didn't matter so much to her. She was already old. She'd lived a good life. And if her final moments were spent protecting her family from The Collector, she would do it without hesitation.

And so she did.

At least she thought she did.

A mechanical click brought her mind back to the present, only to stare down the barrel of a gun, the likes of which she had never seen before.

It was longer than the rifle she kept for hunting. But it was thick and bulky looking, with intricate black and silver markings that almost looked to be words written in a language of some sort.

"No…I'll just stand by and watch as she finds your body. That will be amusing." He grinned, and she glared at him.

"I hope you rot in hell." She growled.

"Oh Shannon. Shannon, Shannon, Shannon." He tsked in a sing-song voice as he cocked the rifle back and lined up the shot. A silver light began to glow from the barrel. "The only one who will be rotting today, is you."

Shannon saw his finger start to tighten on the trigger and closed her eyes. She pictured her daughter's smiling face. She pictured the time when Eliza was but a toddler and they would go and pick wild raspberries from the fields in the summer time. How she would always find her with red-stained lips, grinning from ear to ear as she proclaimed her innocence. She pictured her beautiful grandson. The day Eliza told her she would become a grandmother. His dimpled smile...

And she prayed to the Celestial Spirit King himself that at the very least, he would survive…


	11. It's A Date!

Lucy woke with a groan, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back.

Immediately regretting it.

"Oh, ow. Ow ow ow." She whimpered.

It honestly felt as though she had been hit by a train. Her entire body ached.

What the hell happened? Oh, right.

Nathanial. Riding on Laxus's back and getting shot with a laced arrow.

At the thought of the other blonde, Lucy looked around the infirmary, finding it empty.

She frowned, wondering where he had gone. The two had fallen asleep together not long after he had crawled in bed with her. He had promised her an explanation of everything she had missed, including what the arrow had been laced with when they woke up.

Frown still in place, she slowly rose to sit and something caught her eye.

How she had missed the note on the table literally right next to her, she did not know, but she didn't hesitate to snatch it up and read its contents.

' _Went to take a shower and grab us some breakfast._

 _-Laxus'_

At the mention of food, the blonde's stomach let out an impressively loud demand for sustenance.

"Pretty sure that without my dragon senses, I would've still heard that from the hallway."

Lucy whipped her head around to find her boyfriend standing in the open doorway with two trays of food, his stormy blue eyes glittering in amusement.

She didn't even have time to feel embarrassed, because her sudden movement sent the world tipping sideways…her body following suit.

"Shit!" she heard him curse, and large arms caught her around her waist, stopping her descent moments before she toppled off of the bed.

"Holy shit, are you ok? I'm so fucking sorry." Laxus sounded worried, ashamed, and angry at himself. He pulled her close to his chest and sat down on the bed with her sideways in his lap.

One of her hands rested against her closed eyes, the other was clutching against his shirt tightly. "No, its fine. I just moved too fast."

"It's not fine. You're still healing and I should've made my presence known. I'm so-"

"Laxus, stop. I'm fine, not even dizzy any more. There was no way you could've known I'd react like that, so it's ok. I promise." She wound her arms around him, hoping the hug would help him understand that she wasn't upset with him.

The arms around her squeezed her gently for a moment before the Lightning mage carefully removed her from his lap and stood up.

Lucy frowned at the abrupt loss of contact, a complaint at the tip of her tongue, but kept silent as she watched him grab the trays of food he had somehow managed to set down before catching her.

The obnoxious monster that dwelled inside of her stomach growled once again, making Laxus chuckle and Lucy's entire face burn.

He set the smaller tray on the bed next to her, then pulled up a chair and began to chow down on his own meal.

They ate in comfortable silence for a while before Lucy spoke up.

"So, can you fill me in now?" She asked.

Laxus swallowed his food, took a swig of his beer and sighed.

"Yeah, I guess."

Lucy listened as he recounted what had happened, she watched as his eyebrows furrowed, his jaw clenched. When he told her about how he had given her the antidote, she saw what she knew was just a sliver of the panic he must have felt in his eyes. The blonde got up, set his tray on the bed behind her, and crawled into his lap.

It took a few seconds for him to relax and wind his arms around her, burying his face in her hair.

"Are you ok?" She whispered.

She felt Laxus take a shuddering breath and tighten his hold on her. "Yeah, I will be."

They sat in silence for a few more moments.

"You can talk to me, you know." She murmured.

"There's nothing to talk about." He said gruffly, but she wasn't buying it.

"Laxus…you've seen me break down. We weren't even together yet, but you still held me through it. You still let me get my emotions out. You didn't judge me, or coddle me. I want you to know that I will always be there. I know you're not good with all the emotions stuff, but I want you to understand that you can open up to me. You can let it out, and I will never turn you away."

She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into the side of his neck when she felt him start to tremble.

"I…was scared." He fought to say the words. She understood how it must be hard for him to admit something like that, so she remained quiet and waited for him to continue.

"All I could think about was if I lost you. We barely started, you know? I had finally fucking found someone I wanted to stick with. I finally found something that made me feel a bit better about life, and right when I found it, it was almost fucking taken away." She felt him swallow thickly, and began rubbing small circles on the back of his neck. "I-I've never felt like this before. Cared about someone like this. It's all new to me. I didn't mean to order you to stay behind like that. I know you're a strong woman who does what she wants, and can take care of herself. But I was just scared. I wanted you safe. And when I came back and saw you gone, I panicked. And then seeing you just fall to the ground like that, on top of what that bitch said about the poison…I was terrified I was going to lose you. All because I wasn't paying attention to shit when I knew I should've been on guard. I should've heard them, and that arrow. But instead, you got hurt. Even when Wendy said you'd be fine, I wouldn't believe it until you opened your eyes and told me yourself."

Laxus was taking deep shuddering breaths, so she held him close.

"It's not your fault, Laxus. We're mages. Things like that happen, and will happen again. You can't always protect me, even if you want to. That's just how it is, so don't be so hard on yourself." Lucy snorted in bitter amusement. "I told you before, trouble always seems to follow me. Something always happens, so if you're hell bent on keeping me safe, you're going to have your work cut out for you."

Laxus pushed her away, just enough to look into her eyes. She was rendered silent by the determination and sincerity that burned in his stormy blue orbs.

"Lucy, I may have already failed to keep you safe once, but I promise you I won't let it happen again. I know things happen, but I will be damned if I let you get hurt again. I _will_ keep you safe."

Warmth bloomed in her chest, and she couldn't help but lean forward and practically smash her lips to his.

He jerked, obviously surprised at her sudden act of affection, but didn't hesitate to return the kiss with equal enthusiasm.

She broke the kiss when the need for oxygen was too much to ignore. They both were panting, and she gave him a radiant smile.

"I promise you the same. I'll protect you, too. As much as I can."

The smile he gave her stole what little breath she had.

}{}{}{

That afternoon, after getting cleared by Wendy with the instruction that she not take any jobs or do anything too strenuous for the next week, Laxus walked Lucy back to her place.

They walked hand-in-hand in comfortable silence, and he couldn't help but feel as though everything was right in the world.

But with every step, he heard the tinkling of her keys against her hip and reality came crashing down hard. Being with her felt so right, but nothing was right in the world. There was still a chance that the woman he knew he was falling head over heels for was in danger. And she knew nothing about it. Mavis, did he want to tell her! He almost did when he opened up to her in the infirmary that morning. Keeping it from her felt so wrong, and he fucking hated it.

The Lightning mage was more than surprised at how easy it had been to tell her all that he had. He never opened up to anyone. Only on the rare occurrence that he couldn't keep it within himself any longer had he talked to someone on his team. And even then, he kept it vague. Just enough to get it off his chest, without revealing too much emotion.

But with Lucy…it was like it all came pouring out. Like his soul just knew it could trust her.

That thought had him scowling. The fucking Laxus Dreyar, being sappy as shit.

But he just couldn't help it.

"Laxus?" The soft feminine voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked around in surprise before turning towards the small blonde at his side. They had reached her duplex and he hadn't even noticed.

"Hm?" He grunted.

"Would you like to come inside? We didn't eat lunch at the guild. I could make us something." There was a blush staining her cheeks prettily, and he smirked.

"Sure. That sounds good." He replied, giving her hand a little squeeze.

"Ok." She nodded, letting go of his hand to retrieve her key and unlock the door.

The inside of her home was decorated in creams and whites. Splashes of pinks and soft yellows here and there. More yellow flowers sat in a vase on a mahogany coffee table in front of a small cream couch with white decorative pillows. A white chair with cream pillows was placed in front of a large, overflowing bookshelf, a matching mahogany table next to it. A soft looking, light pink throw blanket was folded up on the back of the chair and he had little doubt that she spent most of her time there, curled up and reading. The kitchen/dining room was small. Matching lace curtains covered the window over the sink, a light pink tablecloth on the small dining room table. More yellow flowers in a vase in the center.

It was small, but homey. Comforting and warm.

So completely Lucy.

"What do you think? Too girly?" She asked timidly.

His attention snapped back to the blonde, and he smiled.

"No. I like it."

She smiled back at him, and his heart nearly faltered. "Thank you."

Lucy moved past him to the kitchen. "Would you like some tea? I would offer you a beer, but I don't have any."

"Tea is fine." He said, when he found his voice again.

She nodded, and he watched as she filled a kettle with water and placed it on the stove.

He followed her back into her living room and she sat in the chair by the bookcase, while he took his place on the sofa.

This was the reason he always bought oversized furniture. The sofa, which was a bit bigger than a love seat, felt like a regular sized chair for him. Sometimes his large build annoyed him.

"So, I was thinking…" Lucy started, and he brought his attention back to her. She had her legs folded underneath her, and a decorative pillow in her lap. He also noted that she was biting her lip and staring down at her hands, which were playing with a loose string that hung off the pillow.

He wanted to know what had her so nervous, but kept silent, knowing that she was working through the words in her head.

Finally she sat a little straighter and looked him in the eye. "I was thinking we should go on a date."

Laxus cocked a brow. "A date?"

The Celestial mage nodded, worrying her lip with her teeth once more as some of her confidence left her.

"Yes. I mean, we're a couple now and we skipped the part where we're supposed to go on dates and get to know each other before coming official."

Laxus chuckled. "Not every couple starts their relationship like that."

"I know." She sighed. "I just thought it would be nice…"

Laxus jerked at her dejected tone and rushed his words. "Hey, I never said we couldn't. I'd love to go on a date with you."

Lucy beamed at him. "Really?"

Nodding rapidly and feeling relieved that he hadn't upset her any more, he smiled back. "Of course! How about tomorrow night?"

She thought for a few seconds before nodding. "Tomorrow works just fine."

"Tomorrow it is. Eight o'clock. I'll pick you up."

They grinned at each other for a few moments, before a high pitched whistle sounded from the kitchen. Lucy startled, before leaping up and running to prepare them their drinks.

Laxus chuckled in amusement, watching her bustle around the kitchen, a pretty smile never leaving her lips.

A date. It actually excited him a bit. He had never taken the same woman on a date more than once. But he knew that with the way things had been going between the two of them, he would be more than happy to take Lucy on many dates. He wondered how different the experience would be, going out with someone he actually cared about.

Then another though struck him.

What the hell does one do on a date when not only trying to get laid?

 **Ok. That was just a whole lot of fluff. I'm sorry!**

 **Over 500 followers, guys! I am so beyond happy. Thank you all so much for your support. All of it. Every favorite, follow, and review makes me so happy. I appreciate every single one of you!**


	12. Waiting For The Other Shoe

Lucy nervously paced her small living room, desperately trying not to chew on her freshly painted thumbnail.

The day had flown by a lot faster than she thought it would and now here it was, 7:50, ten minutes until Laxus was supposed to pick her up for their first date.

She didn't know why she was so nervous. Maybe it was because she had no clue what they'd be doing or if she was over/underdressed. Maybe she was afraid that after this date, she'd realize they didn't have the connection she thought they had. Or worse, he would feel that way and leave her. Maybe it had to do with the fact that this was Laxus Dreyar, a man notorious for one night stands, and she was afraid he would expect something from her at the end of the night that she wasn't ready to give. Yes, he said that he would wait, but how long until he'd grow impatient? Ok, maybe it was all of those things all jumbled up into one massive pit of anxiety.

Shaking her head to try to rid herself from her negative thoughts, she walked into her room to inspect her outfit one last time. Standing in front of a tall oval mirror, she did a small spin to look at her clothes from all angles.

She wore a cute lavender sundress that ended a few inches above her knees. It had a moderately plunging neckline and was sleeveless. The back of the dress had a cut-out that was nothing but charcoal gray lace that stopped at her waist, where it cinched in slightly with a small lavender bow. Her hair was pulled into a slightly tussled side braid that hung over her shoulder. She wore minimal makeup, and simple silver jewelry. To complete her look, she wore charcoal gray ankle boots, and a small charcoal gray clutch that was only big enough to hold her keys and her whip.

It was cute and comfortable, and she loved how the color made her blonde hair and brown eyes pop.

Before she could contemplate more on her clothing, a knock at the door made her almost jump out of her skin.

Forgetting all her earlier worries, she walked quickly to the door and opened it to reveal her date for the evening.

He was leaning against the railing, one hand stuffed into his black slacks, while the other was holding what she knew were now her favorite flowers. Bright yellow daisies and soft pink tulips made up the simple, yet beautiful bouquet.

"Here." He grunted, shoving the flowers in her direction.

Lucy accepted them with a soft smile, bringing them to her nose and sighing at their scent.

"Why daisies and tulips?" She asked.

Laxus looked away, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. "They reminded me of you." He murmured quietly, but she still heard it.

She smiled brightly, snagging his hand and bringing him into the house so she could put them in a vase.

He followed quietly behind her, watching her as she dumped out the old flowers from the vase on her kitchen table.

She rinsed the vase before refilling it with water, and placing the new flowers inside.

"There." The blonde placed the vase back on the table and turned to grin at the silent Dragon Slayer, finding him watching her with a small amused smile.

"What?" She asked and he just shook his head, grabbing her hand and leading her out the front door.

"Let's go."

}{}{}{

"Laxus." The blonde whined. "This is weird. I can't even see anything, but I know people are staring."

Laxus chuckled. This was true. People were staring. It wasn't every day that they saw a large man leading a small, blindfolded woman through town. Especially when said man is Laxus Dreyar.

"Tch. We're almost there, Blondie. Calm down."

He grinned as she grumbled unintelligible things, yet willingly allowed him to continue leading her.

Fifteen minutes later and they were finally there. Laxus bent at the waist to whisper in her ear.

"Ok. Ready?"

Lucy nodded eagerly, and he undid the knot, releasing the cloth.

He stood by and watched as she gasped at the sight before her.

They were on a tall hill overlooking Magnolia. There was a large blanket laid out along with several food containers and a few lit candles to give them some light. But the best part was the view of the night sky, unhindered by the lacrima lights of the town. There were hardly any clouds, and the stars shone brightly above them.

"This is…" The smaller blonde turned and gave him a watery smile.

…And he promptly panicked.

He rushed to her, taking her by the shoulders. "What's wrong? Why are you crying? Do you not like it? We can go-" Soft lips stole the rest of his words, and he forgot them in an instant as she wrapped her slender arms around his waist.

She pulled back, smiling brightly. "This is perfect."

Laxus sighed, relieved.

' _Really thought I messed up there. Thank Mavis.'_ He thought to himself, before leading her to the blanket.

The two chatted happily as they ate their meal, and it surprised him how easy it was to talk to her. He loved how smart she was. She was witty and sarcastic at times, which he appreciated greatly.

She didn't put up with bullshit, that was apparent. And his Gramps had told him time and time again that the only woman who would willingly stick by his side was one that wasn't afraid to put him in his place. One who was as strong-willed and stubborn as he was, maybe even more so.

When all the food was gone, Laxus blew out the candles and laid out on the blanket. He patted the spot next to him, and she laid there next to him without hesitation.

He pointed to a cluster of stars. "Is that a constellation?"

Laxus watched from the corner of his eye as she nodded and positively lit up. It was amazing, he thought, how happy and passionate she was when she talked about the stars. It was easy to see just how much she loved them. And as she pointed out each one she could see, he'd glance at them, then go back to covertly watching the expressions of joy flit over her face. The wide smile that never wavered as she spoke.

And he knew, right then, that he was falling hard.

}{}{}{

It was the next day, and Laxus was in a wonderful mood. Colors seemed a bit brighter. There was absolutely nothing that could dampen this blissful feeling.

He was currently sitting at the guild with his team, stealing glances at the blonde sitting at a table with Erza and Cana. Every time he'd catch her eye, she'd blush and look away, which would make a smile threaten to break out on his face.

The night before, he had walked her home, shared a sweet kiss and said goodnight. She'd thanked him for a wonderful evening.

He couldn't wait for their next date. He'd told her it was her turn to pick something that she'd want to do, and he was excited to find out what it would be.

A throat cleared at his table and looked at the source, blanching at the sly smile Ever shot his way.

"So…how was your date?" She asked coyly, fanning herself slowly.

This caught the attention of the other two mages sitting with them, and they leaned in, eager to know as well.

Laxus smoothed out his features, trying his best to hide the happy smile that wanted to curl his lips.

His attempt obviously failed.

Bickslow was practically giddy. "Did ya tap it?"

His totems swirled over their heads. "Tap it! Tap it!'

Laxus shot him a dark glare. "No. She's not ready for that kind of thing yet."

"And you're ok with waiting?" Freed asked with genuine surprise in his voice.

Ouch.

"Yep."

He said nothing more on the matter.

"Laxus. My office, now." He heard from his grandfather's office.

He nodded at his team and made his way to the partially open door, striding to one of the armchairs and taking a seat.

"What do you need, Gramps?"

His grandfather took a seat on top of his desk and puffed on his pipe.

"Loke will be here momentarily for a meeting." Makarov explained.

Sure enough, moments later, the Spirit appeared and sat in another chair. He looked exhausted. Dark bags under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. He was pale.

"You look like hell." Laxus grunted.

Loke ignored his comment and looked the tiny guild master in the eye. "There's been more deaths. Three total. Two were Celestial mages, and one was the toddler of one of the mages."

Laxus sat ridged in his seat, anger flowing through his veins. "A fucking toddler?"

The Spirit nodded solemnly. "The number of living Celestial mages is dwindling. It's obvious that someone or something is hunting them and taking their keys."

"We need to warn Lucy! They're going to come for her and-"

"We have a bit more time. There's a chance that the killer will stop there, or we can stop them. Just give it a few more days. If there's another death, then I will tell her personally. I just don't want to put this on her until it becomes necessary." Loke said with resolution.

"It became necessary the moment this sick fuck started killing. And now a baby is dead. A fucking baby." Laxus snapped.

"I agree with Loke." Makarov spoke.

"What the fuck, Gramps?!" Laxus all but roared.

"Now now, calm down. I'm not agreeing to keep this from her forever, just for a few days, like Loke said. Give it a few more days, Laxus. There's still so much we don't know about the situation and it would be stupid to worry her until she needs to be worried. I'm sure you've noticed how different that girl is since the Tartaros incident and the disbandment of the guild. And by the look on your face you know exactly why. I won't push you to tell me anything. That's for her to discuss with me when the time is right.

"The point is, that something has changed her. And I don't know how this will affect her. She's a lot more independent, and I don't want her doing something like going off and facing this alone. Give us time to find out more, and then we will let her know."

Laxus bit back the angry words that so desperately wanted to lash out at his grandfather, and nodded curtly.

The fact was, it did sound like something she would do. She would go off and face it alone, and then he would probably never see her alive again.

And that scared the shit out of him.

He tuned out the rest of their discussion and thought over everything.

It still seemed wrong to keep this whole situation from her, but they had a point.

He wouldn't lose her. No matter what happened, he vowed to keep her safe.

Everything had been going so well, and now he felt like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 **So sorry for how long it took to update this! Hopefully I will be updated more frequently and with longer chapters soon! I'm trying my best to work through some depression issues, but I won't give up!**

 **A big thank you to everyone who has fav/followed/and reviewed! I love you all!**

 **Until next time, loves :)**


	13. I'm back!

**I don't even know what to say other than I'm so unbelievably sorry for how long I've been absent.**

 **I promise I'm still here! And there is no way in hell I am giving up on my stories.**

 **So much has happened since I moved back to my home town. And I know most of you don't really need to know what's been going on, but I'm pretty open with my struggles as of late, and maybe it will make some of you feel less alone in your own struggles.**

 **If some of you may remember, I have mentioned in the past about depression kicking my ass. I always knew I had depression, but I never realized how bad it really was.**

 **Soon after we moved back I went on antidepressants I thought they were working but I wasn't sure because I had never been on them before. Now, during this time and 2 out of the 3 years I lived in Virginia (when I first started writing fanfiction) I was struggling terribly with self harm.**

 **That should have been my first sign that my antidepressants were in fact not working. Actually, I got worse. The moment I started getting suicidal thoughts I stopped taking them altogether. I made a promise with myself that if I kept self harming that I would go and seek mental help. I couldn't be the mother my boys needed me to be if I was constantly hurting myself (they never witnessed me doing it or the aftermath. I always kept my marks covered because I could never let my babies see that)**

 **But I kept doing it. I would be able to resist the urge for weeks, but when I broke…it was bad.**

 **So I checked myself in to a mental health clinic. I was there for a week. And I am SO glad that I did. You guys..it helped me so much. I was shown coping mechanisms and I was understood without anyone looking at me in pity, or that I was a total nut job. I was finally officially diagnosed, as well as being put on medications specific to my exact diagnosis.**

 **Severe depression disorder, severe anxiety, and PTSD.**

 **This was back in January, and I have only self harmed once since then.**

 **Then it was just adjusting to it all. Fine tuning my dosages and going to therapy once a week.**

 **I am finally getting back to myself now, I started making jewelry and being creative again. I am finally feeling happiness and I never realized that I had rarely felt that way all my life.**

 **So I've been binge reading and trying to catch up on everything I have missed.**

 **And today I had the first true urge to write in almost a year! So I decided to write an absurdly long note to you all, explaining way more than I needed to.**

 **If you read to this point, thank you! And I will be slowly getting back into writing things! I'll hopefully be updating my stories soon, but I may or may not try writing a simple story before jumping right back into my other more complicated stories. Kinda like testing the waters, ya know?**

 **Anyway I'll stop my rambling now.**

 **Oh wait one last thing! I have seen every review that has been posted in my absence and I want to thank every one of you who read my stories, even when they hadn't been updated in such a long time.**

 **Ok, now I'm really done.**

 **Love, Lovely.**


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